labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Powered Industrial Trucks, or forklifts as many of us call them, are one of the most hazardous pieces of equipment in regular use in industry. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 100 workers are killed and 20,000 are seriously injured each year as a result of fork truck accidents. Most of those accidents are entirely preventable.

According to a recent Connecticut OSHA publication, the CONN OSHA quarterly, a significant number of forklift injuries and deaths can be directly related to fork truck instability. Here’s just one example of a needless fatality. On a Friday in July, CONN OSHA’s Bridgeport office received a call that a worker at a local car dealership had been involved in a forklift accident.

Because forklifts have 4 wheels, many workers expect them to handle like cars. However, the forklift’s rear axel is actually a pivot, for greater maneuverability. Instead of resting stability on 4 points, the forklift rests on 3 points. This difference has caused many accidents.

As you might already know, all fatal accidents must be reported to OSHA within 24 hours. In this case, the auto dealership worker had been assisting a neighboring business in unloading a tractor-trailer. As merchandise was being unloaded from the truck, it was being placed in a pickup truck.

The forklift has just finished placing a large item into the bed of the pickup. The forklift operator put his machine in reverse and quickly backed up, turning the steering wheel sharply. The motion caused the forklift to flip onto its side. The worker was thrown out and crushed by the forklift’s overhead protection cage. Tragically, the forklift driver died of his injuries.

A CONN OSHA investigation showed that the worker had not been properly trained to operate the forklift. The forklift had not been equipped with a seatbelt or any other type of driver restraint.

When the forklift was placed in reverse, the forks were still raised. It’s important that forklifts be placed in reverse only when the forks are lowered, to prevent just such accidents.
According to the “Employer’s Guide to Material Handing Safety”, turning too sharply with the forks raised can cause the forklift to tip over, even at slow speeds with no load on the forks.

This accident could have been avoided if the forklift operator was properly trained. Every trained forklift operator should remember that forklifts are less stable than automobiles, with or without a load. A seatbelt or other restraint would have also prevented the worker from being ejected.

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