The Tuna Factory Death

In 2012, Jose Melena died in a horrific workplace accident at a tuna processing plant operated by Bumble Bee Foods in California. While loading fish into a large industrial oven, Melena was unknowingly sealed inside when coworkers started the cooking cycle.

The oven had no internal release, motion sensors, or reliable warning systems, and safety procedures relied on verbal communication rather than mandatory checks. By the time workers realized what had happened, hours had passed.

The incident was later ruled entirely preventable and led to rare criminal charges and millions in fines against the company. Melena’s death remains one of the most disturbing examples of how routine factory work can turn deadly when safety systems fail.