A Spartanburg County employee died after an incident at a recycling center Nov. 23 in the afternoon, officials said.
Michael Cooper, 65, worked at the Valley Falls Road collection site, according to a statement from county coroner Rusty Clevenger.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our county employees, Michael Cooper,” Scottie Kay Blackwell, county communications manager, said in a written statement. “Michael Cooper was a valued member of our Public Works Department. According to his coworkers, he was a good-natured, hardworking guy who kept a constant positive attitude.”
Clevenger wrote in his statement that Cooper had been trapped between a large trash container and a cement wall. The coroner’s office notified the South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which investigates workplace fatalities. A forensic exam by Clevenger’s office was scheduled for Nov. 25.
OSHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
