BORDEN, Indiana — A fatal workplace accident at Koetter Woodworking Inc. in southern Indiana was documented by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following an incident on September 5, 2006. According to the agency’s official record, an employee was struck and killed by materials-handling equipment while working at the company. <Link url=”https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=200993095” title=”Read OSHA’s accident report”/>.

The historical record has prompted renewed interest in the workplace fatality and searches for information about the employee who died. However, the publicly available summary does not identify the worker by name or provide personal details sufficient to prepare an individual obituary.

What Happened at Koetter Woodworking?

OSHA’s accident summary records the incident date as September 5, 2006, and classifies the event as a fatal injury involving materials-handling equipment.

The investigation describes an employee being struck and killed by the equipment. The record lists the worker’s occupation broadly as a miscellaneous woodworking machine operator and identifies the nature of the injury as a fracture.

Although the official summary confirms that a fatality occurred, it does not provide a detailed reconstruction of the incident or identify the specific sequence of events leading to the worker’s death.

OSHA Investigation and Official Records

The OSHA inspection record identifies Koetter Woodworking Inc. and lists the inspection as an accident investigation handled through the Indiana Department of Labor.

According to the agency’s records:

  • Incident date: September 5, 2006.

  • Employer: Koetter Woodworking Inc.

  • Location associated with the company: Borden, Indiana.

  • Reported incident: An employee was fatally struck by materials-handling equipment.

  • Investigation opened: September 5, 2006.

  • Case closed: October 18, 2006.

  • Employee’s identity: Not disclosed in the public accident summary reviewed.

The investigation record can be accessed through the OSHA inspection details page.

The existence of an investigation does not, by itself, establish that a particular safety violation occurred or determine legal responsibility. Any conclusions about citations or liability would require additional documentation from the relevant authorities.

Remembering the Worker Who Died

Behind every workplace fatality is a person whose life extended beyond their employment. The death of a worker can leave family members, friends, and colleagues facing a profound loss, while also reminding others of the importance of workplace safety.

Unfortunately, the available OSHA summary does not provide the deceased employee’s name, age, family background, career history, or personal interests. No verified personal obituary or family tribute identifying the worker has been established for this article.

For that reason, it would be inappropriate to attribute the fatality to a named individual or invent details about the person’s life. A fuller memorial would require confirmation from a reliable obituary, family announcement, or other authoritative source.

Koetter Woodworking and Workplace Safety

The historical incident highlights the risks associated with machinery and materials-handling equipment in manufacturing environments. Proper equipment safeguards, appropriate operating procedures, worker training, and effective hazard controls are important elements of industrial safety.

The OSHA record documents the fatal event, but the summary alone does not establish whether a specific safety failure caused the accident. Any assessment of the circumstances should be based on the full investigation record rather than assumptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Koetter Woodworking fatal accident occur?

OSHA records the incident date as September 5, 2006.

What caused the worker’s death?

The official summary states that the employee was struck and killed by materials-handling equipment. It does not provide a more detailed account of the precise sequence of events.

Has the deceased employee been identified?

The public accident summary reviewed does not disclose the worker’s name or sufficient personal information to establish their identity.

Have funeral arrangements or an obituary been confirmed?

No verified obituary or funeral arrangements specifically identifying the employee have been established in the information reviewed.

Was there a new fatal accident at Koetter Woodworking in 2026?

The OSHA record discussed here concerns the September 2006 incident. It does not establish that a separate, recent fatal accident occurred in 2026.

Conclusion

The fatal workplace accident at Koetter Woodworking in Borden, Indiana, is documented in OSHA records dated September 5, 2006. The agency confirms that an employee died after being struck by materials-handling equipment, but the public summary does not identify the worker or provide enough personal information for a complete obituary.

The incident remains a sobering reminder of the importance of industrial safety and the human consequences of workplace fatalities. Any future tribute should distinguish confirmed official findings from details that remain unknown.

Information here is for general information purposes only. This article concerns a historical workplace fatality recorded in 2006 and should not be interpreted as confirmation of a new incident. The employee’s identity and personal history have not been independently established from the public record reviewed.