Abstract
A 36-year-old male florist (the victim) died after being pinned between the bucket of a bucket loader/forklift truck (loader) and the back of a semi trailer. The florist was co-owner of the retail floral shop on the street where the incident occurred. The loader was operated by an employee of an excavating company which was contracted to provide forklift services at the floral shop site. At the time of the incident, the victim was standing in front of the trailer, directing the operator of the loader to move a few inches closer to the trailer so the end of a chain could be attached to the bucket. The loader lurched 3-4 feet forward, pinning the victim against the trailer. After several unsuccessful attempts to move the loader into reverse, the loader operator backed away and the victim fell to the ground. The operator called for help, and emergency services were summoned. EMS responders and police arrived, and the victim was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where he died. The FACE investigator concluded that, to prevent similar occurrences, employers should: 1. Develop service contracts only with companies that have established histories of experience, expertise and safety in the activity to be performed. 2. Ensure that companies that provide forklift services at the employer's worksite establish and enforce a powered industrial truck safety program, including industrial truck inspection and maintenance and operator training. In addition, individuals who work near industrial trucks should: 3. Stand away from the pathway of an industrial truck and, manufacturers of industrial trucks should: 4. Consider standardizing the location and function of pedals, levers, gauges, and other control devices and indicators.
Keywords
Region-5; 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; Equipment-operators; Equipment-reliability; Safety-programs; Retail-workers
