Abstract: Employee #1, who worked in a produce warehouse, was operating a riding jack on loading dock #4. Because it was designed to accommodate one truck that sat 5 in. higher than the rest of the company's fleet, the loading plate was 5 in. higher than those on the other docks. It was common practice for all workers to use a weighed pallet, a spare riding fork, or a load lock pole, to hold down this plate during loading. When the pole method was used, the bottom of the pole would be placed on the dock plate, the top would be placed on the top frame of the truck, and the pole jack would then be tightened. Employee #1 could not get the pole positioned to his satisfaction; he decided to try a new method, and placed the top of the pole under the bottom edge of the loading dock door. While he did this, he had a coworker use the door motor to lower the door, thereby forcing the pole to hold down the dock plate. Unbeknownst to Employee #1, the door cable was being unwound from its drum by this process. The pole slipped out from under the door, and when he kicked it to put it back in position, the door fell. Its struck Employee #1 on the neck, knocking him off his feet. Employee #1 later said that neither he nor anyone else had ever used that method before, and that he was unaware that the cable would unwind from its drum.