FACE Facts: Runaway Killer – Preventing Forklift Fatalities

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  California. Department of Public Health
• Description:
  The California Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program has been investigating work­related deaths since 1992. The goal of the FACE program is to prevent these deaths by informing workers and managers of worksite hazards and how to avoid them. The two incidents below involve forklift operators who died when their forklifts rolled and pinned them against large objects. Both operators parked their forklifts on concrete surfaces with small inclines. The operators did not set their parking brakes before getting off of the forklifts. THE UNAWARE TRUCK DRIVER: A 39­year­old truck driver, Andreas P.* (* Not the victim's real name), died when he was crushed between a forklift and a flatbed trailer. Andreas had parked a forklift on a sidewalk slightly higher than his truck. He went to straighten some pallets on the trailer. The forklift rolled forward and pinned Andreas between the edge of the trailer and the mast of the forklift. Although Andreas was trained in forklift operation his employer did not make sure he followed forklift rules and regulations. THE UNTRAINED OPERATOR: A 21­year­old warehouseman, George L.* (* Not the victim's real name), died when he was crushed between a forklift and the edge of the floor of a railroad boxcar. George drove the forklift to the loading area of a loading dock. After he parked it, he tried to open a boxcar door. The forklift rolled backwards toward the boxcar, and fell partially over the edge. This pinned George between the edge of the floor of the boxcar and the rear of the forklift. George was a new employee who was not trained in forklift operation. RECOMMENDATIONS: Employers should make sure that: Forklift operators follow the rules when they get off a forklift. Forklifts are regularly inspected. No one stands between parked forklifts and large, unmoving objects. New employees are not allowed to do new tasks until they are properly trained and tested in forklift operation. Manufacturers should: Make forklifts with automatic parking brakes so that the brakes engage whenever no one is in the seat. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Automobiles Mortality Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Equipment Operation Equipment Operators Fatalities Forklifts Injuries Injury Prevention Safety Practices Training Vehicle Safety Warehousing
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Publisher:
  California Department of Public Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060132
• Citation:
  Richmond, CA: California Department of Public Health, 2001 Jun; :1-2
• Contact Point Address:
  California Department of Public Health Occupational Health Branch (OHB), FACE Program, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Building P, 3rd Floor, Richmond, CA 94804
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2001
• Performing Organization:
  Public Health Institute
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  19910930
• Source Full Name:
  FACE facts: runaway killer - preventing forklift fatalities
• End Date:
  20060831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2d819cd3667a55ed4abf8d355a91acac887f7e78ff565f31c052f0310c922aca5d1e08a8a4dbe15cbde7b00fd9bab1a44135470e07c67cb123f045bd36bb7b1d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229015/cdc_229015_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 208.60 KB ]