Baxter Family Speaks Following TOSHA Report
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“Nothing’s going to change the fact that they killed my child,” cried Connie Bausman. In May, Dan Baxter was fatally injured at the Elemental Holdings Plant in Jackson. A report by state investigators show Baxter was changing a roll of Aluminum, when it slipped and crushed him to death. “Somebody made the decision not to be safe and I want to know who,” cried Bausman. The state safety agency, TOSHA accuses Elemental Holding of violating seven safety standards, and alleges four of them directly cost Baxter his life. TOSHA is giving the company one month to fix the hazards and pay, a total of $15,800. “Makes me realize that they knew that they had safety issues and they didn’t do anything about it. All they got was a slap on the wrist,” said Bausman. “To them he was just an employee, to me, that man was my life,” said Tammy Baxter, who became a widow after only 10 and a half months of marriage. “So I didn’t even get to celebrate my first wedding anniversary with him, cried Baxter. Phone calls to Elemental Holdings went unanswered. Tammy Baxter said she has not heard from her husband’s managers since his funeral and what could stop some of her tears is an apology. “I like to forgive and forget, and if somebody would come to me and say, ‘we’re sorry, we screwed up, this is what we’re going to do to keep it from happening again,’ I think I could rest better at night,” cried Baxter. The family said the plant assured them they would pay for the funeral, but the family said Elemental Holdings did not keep that promise. The Baxters said they may sue the company.
