Feds probe teen's accident at Wyandanch factory

Federal agencies are investigating a Wyandanch factory where a 17-year-old injured his hand cleaning a machine, officials said Friday.

Suffolk County police said Jose Hernandez, 17, of Wyandanch, was seriously injured in the accident at Corinthian Cast Stone Inc. on Wyandanch Avenue at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. His hand became caught as he cleaned an industrial mixer, police said.

He was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center and admitted in critical but stable condition with lacerations, broken bones, and nerve and tendon damage to one hand.

Through a hospital spokeswoman, Hernandez declined a request for an interview Friday. The hospital also could not provide an update on his medical condition.

Ted Fitzgerald, a spokesman for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the agency will investigate whether the company followed safety and health regulations. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, which enforces restrictions and types of equipment workers under 18 can operate, also is investigating, he said.

A man who answered the phone at Corinthian Cast Stone declined to answer questions Friday because of an "ongoing investigation" and referred all future requests for information to OSHA. He refused to identify himself.

The company makes architectural cast stones for the outside of buildings, according to its website. Some recent projects have included producing stone for the Merrick Long Island Rail Road station, a dormitory at Farmingdale State College and the Port Authority Waterfront Corporate Center in Hoboken.