Workers Defense Project - Latest News

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is now investigating the first heat-related death in Travis County for 2009.

Jeffery Louis Willenborg, 43, of Grand Prairie, Texas died in Austin on July 15 after having worked three days in a row at a construction site during extreme heat.

EMS paramedics told KVUE that Willenborg died from a heat-related illness; however, the Travis County medical examiner is still waiting on toxicology test results before releasing an official cause of death for Willenborg.

An OSHA spokesperson told KVUE that the law requires construction companies to notify their agency when an employee dies either on the job or after leaving the work site.

OSHA is currently trying to find out who Willenborg's employer was because the company has not come forward to report his death.

John Hanks, Willenborg's stepbrother, told KVUE that Willenborg worked for his cousin Michael Chapman out of the Ft. Worth area; however, Chapman had not returned KVUE's calls at the time this article was written.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the regional office for OSHA in Austin at (512) 374-0271

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News & Politics

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• Workers Defense Project
• Cristina Tzintzun
• Heat Death
• Water Break
• Austin
• Construction