Case Study: On the morning of September 20, 2017, an employee of a building supply company in Clyde Hill, Washington, was operating a forklift on the job. The forklift had its mast extended, causing it to be unbalanced. As the employee drove the forklift, its instability caused the truck to tip forward onto its forks, violently ejecting the employee from his seat. He was not wearing the seatbelt, a required safety measure. The employee struck his head on the forklift's overhead protective guards and died from blunt force head trauma.
Key Takeaways: Employers set the tone for safety. A workplace culture of diligent compliance with basic safety precautions decreases the likelihood of accidents. In this case, the basic safety precautions for forklift operation were ignored. The required seatbelt was not used and the forklift mast was up, a known and easily recognized source of instability. The tipping forward of the forklift might have been avoided had the forklift mast been in an appropriate position, and the fatality might have been prevented had the driver been wearing a seatbelt. When forklifts and PITs are equipped with seatbelts and other restraints, OSHA requires employers to enforce their use.
Any injury or death of a worker should be seen as a serious call for employers and workers alike to look carefully at safety practices. The employer should determine what needs to be done to ensure that each worker is given the best chance to avoid injury, accidents, and death.
