Abstract: EMPLOYEE #1, OPERATING A CATERPILLAR FORKLIFT, MODEL T80D, RATED AT 8,000 POUNDS (LOAD CENTERED), PICKED A 4,300 POUND WIRE COIL FROM THE FOURTH LEVEL (ABOUT 13 FEET HIGH) OF A WIRE COIL STACK. THE PICK WAS MADE USING ONLY THE LEFT FORK. WHEN EMPLOYEE #1 BACKED AWAY FROM THE PILE HE MADE A SHARP TURN. THE ADDED WEIGHT OF THE WIRE COIL CAUSED THE FORKLIFT TO OVERTURN TO THE LEFT. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS THROWN FROM THE FORKLIFT AND PINNED TO THE GROUND (ACROSS HIS BACK) BY THE OVERHEAD GUARD. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO WITNESSES, IT IS PROBABLE THAT HE WAS OPERATING THE FORKLIFT AT TOO HIGH A RATE OF SPEED IN A SITUATION WHERE THE LOAD WAS NOT CENTERED. MEASUREMENTS AT THE SCENE INDICATED THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS PROBABLY LOWERING THE FORKS BEFORE HE CLEARED THE STACK, AND MAY HAVE CONTACTED THE STACK WITH THE LOAD. THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE IMBALANCE AND HELPED CAUSE THE OVERTURN.