A yard hand was killed when he was crushed between the mast and the rollover protective structure of a forklift.
Authors
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Source
Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE 04OK028, 2005 Jan; :1-5
Abstract
A 72-year-old construction yard hand died on June 9, 2004 from chest trauma he received after being crushed between the mast and the rollover protective structure (ROPS) of the forklift he was operating. The victim was assigned to redistribute lumber that had been loaded on a 40-foot flatbed trailer at the company's storage yard facility. With a load of lumber elevated, he stepped out of the running lines and onto the front fender of the forklift to reposition the blocks used to separate the loads. The victim attempted to cross from the left fender to the right fender and, in the process of climbing across the front of the operator's station, unintentionally engaged the tilt control lever of the forklift with his foot. The mast tilted back and crushed the decedent. Two co-workers responded immediately and lowered the victim to the ground. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced dead in the emergency room. Oklahoma Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OKFACE) investigators concluded that to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should: 1. Ensure that all forklift operators have received formal documented training, including hands-on training and an evaluation, and are competent to operate a forklift. 2. Ensure that forklift operators do not position themselves between the uprights of the mast, outside the running lines of the truck, or under elevated forks or loads. 3. Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive safety and health program that includes safe operating procedures for forklifts and compliance monitoring.
Keywords
Region-6; Accident-analysis; Accident-prevention; Accidents; Injuries; Injury-prevention; Traumatic-injuries; Work-operations; Work-analysis; Work-areas; Work-performance; Work-practices; Safety-education; Safety-equipment; Safety-measures; Safety-monitoring; Protective-measures; Training; Equipment-operators; Construction-equipment; Construction-industry; Construction-workers; Safety-programs
Document Type
Field Studies; Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation
Funding Type
Cooperative Agreement
NTIS Accession No.
PB2007-106551
Identifying No.
FACE-04OK028; Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U60-CCU-613938; Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U60-OH-008342
Source Name
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Performing Organization
Oklahoma State Department of Health
