Factory worker dies on birthday after red-hot metal shards pierce him 'like bullets' in horror accident

A man died on his birthday when red-hot metal shards pierced him “like bullets” in a horror . Daniel Tafa was left on the ground covered in blood and while his colleagues called the , he had died instantly and there was nothing they could do.

Daniel, who had turned 22 that day, was operating a machine that moulds industrial steel gears and had just restarted it when it exploded. It is not clear if the machine malfunctioned or if it was handled incorrectly, but it ended up completely destroyed. According to the post-mortem examination, two red-hot shards pierced Daniel “like bullets”.

The first went through his back, causing fatal injuries to one of his lungs, one of his kidneys, and his heart. The second struck him in one of his buttocks, badly fracturing his pelvis and several vertebrae.

The STM company where Daniel worked is based in Molino di Campagna, north east of Venice, , and it specialises in hot stamping, retreading, and extrusion moulding. The tragic accident happened on the night of March 25.

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The authorities have seized the remains of the machine and have placed five people under investigation for manslaughter, reported . They are the factory owner, the plant manager, the expert who inspected the equipment, the professional who certified the machine was functioning correctly, and the head of the company’s health and safety service.

Daniel’s mother claimed: “The machine was supposed to have another operator, but Daniel was probably using it alone at that moment. No one is speaking out because everyone is afraid of losing their job.

“The union had asked the company to install a gate around the machines, so if any hot material were to fly off, it wouldn’t injure anyone. These weren’t mandatory safety measures, our lawyer explained, but if they had been in place, Daniel would still be alive.

“They don’t cost much to install, but they would slow down work by just five seconds per piece, just five seconds.”

Daniel, who was born in San Vito al Tagliamento and lived in Vajont, had got engaged in November and hoped to have children one day.

He played on a basketball team and was a passionate football fan who never missed an AC Milan game. He is survived by his father and his younger siblings as well as him mother, with his parents originally from .

His mother paid tribute to his selfless, hardworking nature. She said: “I live with crutches due to a slipped disc, and Daniel, from a young age, took care of his younger siblings and me.

“He would hoover, cook, and iron. My husband works, but five mouths can’t be fed on just one salary. One day, Daniel decided he wanted to work where his father worked. His bosses quickly saw how precise and reliable he was.

“Imagine this - I never once had to go into his room to make his bed or fold his clothes. Less than a year ago, they offered him a permanent contract. ‘Give it a bit more time, and I’ll be Dad’s boss,’ he used to joke.” The investigation continues.