By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Two men were seriously injured in two separate industrial accidents Saturday, according to police.
In the first incident, an unidentified 46-year-old man from Willingboro in Burlington County was injured about 8 a.m. at the Wakefern Food Corporation warehouse, 355 Davidson Mill Road.
According to police, the man was pinned between a lift truck he was operating and shelving inside the warehouse.
The man was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick by the Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad. Information on his condition was not available from police.
The second incident occurred at 11:15 a.m. at the International Flavors & Fragrances facility on Docks Corner Road when an unidentified 29-year-old man from Toms River in Ocean County had a chemical mixture he was working on explode, according to police.
The man suffered first and second degree burns on 25 percent of his body, police said.
The Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad and paramedics responded to the scene with the Monmouth Junction Fire Department, police said.
The man was transported to St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston by State Police helicopter, according to police. Information on his condition was not available from police.
Both incidents are being investigated by police and the federal Occupational Health and Safety Association.
OSHA spokesman Leni Fortson said businesses are not required to report such incidents unless they result in a fatality or a catastrophe that injures three people or more, but the agency has been notified and will follow up on the call.
According to its website, Wakefern Food Corporation is the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the country and operates 2.5 million square feet of warehouse space. The firm is headquartered in Keasbey and serves retailers like Shop Rite throughout the northeast, according to the website.
In February, Wakefern was named one of NJBiz magazine’s 2012 best places to work in New Jersey, according to a company press release.
"We consistently strive to create an environment that our associates can be proud of and that allows them to excel," said Joseph Sheridan, president and COO of Wakefern in the release. "We are delighted that Wakefern has been recognized by NJBIZ as a ‘best place to work’ and we are so honored to be included in this esteemed group of New Jersey businesses." It was also named 2012 Internship Employer of the Year by Seton Hall University April 5, according to a press release from the company.
The IFF site on Docks Corner Road was built as a state-of-the-art culinary and bakery center in 2004 to enable the company’s product development, according to that company’s website.
The company, started in 1833, creates flavors and fragrances for use in a variety of food and household goods, according to the company.
