Worker crushed by robotic machine at Wisconsin pizza factory prompts OSHA investigation

A Wisconsin pizza plant worker died after being crushed by a robotic machine during his shift at Palermo’s Pizza in West Milwaukee on Wednesday morning, authorities said. Robert Cherone, 45, of Elkhorn, was the victim of the fatal incident around 6:30 a.m. local time. Police and firefighters responded to what investigators described as an industrial accident, and Cherone was pronounced dead at the scene.

West Milwaukee police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating what led to the incident. It was not immediately clear what sequence of events preceded the injury, and investigators have not released a probable cause.

Palermo’s spokesman Rebecca Schimke said the company is cooperating with investigators and will support Cherone’s family and employees. “The tragic accident that took an employee’s life earlier today is a terrible incident that is being fully investigated,” she said. “We are cooperating with government officials and gathering facts.” Cherone had worked as a bakery manager at the West Milwaukee facility, according to his LinkedIn profile.

OSHA data highlights the broader safety context in the state: the agency has logged more than 4,000 severe work injuries in Wisconsin since 2015, with 73 such injuries reported so far this year.

Palermo’s, founded by Gaspare and Zina Falluca, began as a Milwaukee pizzeria in 1969 and started producing frozen pizza in 1979. The company now operates three Wisconsin manufacturing facilities that produce pizzas sold across the United States and has stressed that it meets regulatory standards for cleanliness and food safety. “Our fully trained team ensures that all of our products maintain our gold standard of excellence,” the company’s site states.

The tragedy comes just over two months after another fatal factory incident in Missouri. Nicolas Lopez Gomez, 38, a Guatemalan national who worked under the alias Edward Avila, died in June while cleaning a large oven at the Gilster Mary Lee Cereal Plant in Perryville. Police said he was reportedly power-washing the machine from the outside, and it was unclear how he ended up inside the shut-down oven; authorities do not suspect foul play.

The incident at Palermo’s underscores ongoing questions about safety as automation becomes more prevalent in manufacturing. Robots can boost productivity but also pose new risks if safety protocols, machine guarding, lockout/tagout procedures, maintenance, and training are not rigorously maintained. Investigators will examine whether safety standards were followed and what safeguards may be needed to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Wisconsin’s labor community has weighed in on the event. Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale said the union movement’s core principle is that “an injury to one is an injury to all.” While workers at Palermo’s are not currently organized in a union, the federation emphasized the importance of employers, workers, and government agencies working together to ensure safe workplaces and to prevent future losses.