Detectives continue to investigate how George Falder ended up in an autoclave at tyre-maker Pirelli's factory in Carlisle.
Police have stated that circumstances around the death of the Pirelli employee, which occurred at the Carlisle factory on Sunday, remain suspicious.
A team of detectives launched an investigation after 48 year old George Falder from Carlisle was found dead inside factory machinery at 6pm on Sunday evening.
The machinery in question reaches very high temperatures and is not suitable for people to enter. The Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) will be joint-investigating the case and has visited the scene of the incident. A spokesperson for HSE noted that the safety investigator would not be making any comment while the police investigation was still ongoing.
Police are pursuing all lines of enquiry to establish why and how Mr Falder came to enter the machinery and are continuing to appeal to his colleagues and friends to come forward with information to help them understand exactly what happened that evening.
A post mortem held on Monday revealed that Mr Falder had not sustained any physical injuries which helps police rule out suspicions that he may have been assaulted prior to his death.
Senior investigating officer, detective chief inspector Mike Forrester said that Mr Falder’s death had deeply shocked and saddened many people.
“Our priority is understanding whether this was a tragic accident or whether this was something more sinister,” he said. “We are working alongside the HSE to establish why Mr Falder went into the machinery on Sunday evening so we can give his family the answers they desperately need.”
The factory, which employs 850 people, was initially shut down following the death but has since been given permission to reopen.
Pirelli released a statement confirming that the employee usually worked with the autoclaves and that he “was found dead at his work station.”
“The circumstances of this tragic event are still unclear and the matter is being investigated by Cumbria police,” said Pirelli.
Despite the death of a man in a machine that people should not enter, Pirelli stated that it “has always made the safety of its people a top priority.”
The family of Mr Falder, who leaves behind a wife and two children, released a statement saying: “George had just returned from his holiday in Turkey which he had been looking forward to since he booked it. We are all glad he got to go before this tragedy happened.”
The police have spoken with many of Mr Falder’s colleagues at the factory, with the company joining the police in urging anybody with any information to urgently come forward and speak to the Police in confidence.
