UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Abstract: On August 13, 2009, Employee #1, a fulltime, noncontract warehouse worker for a distributor of meat products for restaurant use, was working by himself. His job was to load and unload product in the refrigerated warehouse. Employee #1, who was not an authorized industrial truck operator, decided to use a Hyundai electric forklift (Model Number HBF25C-7; Serial Number FM0210028) to assist him in accessing the higher levels of a boxed meat stack. Employee #1 raised the forks about four feet and left the motor running as he climbed onto the forks to access the stored product. One box, weighing approximately 40 pounds, fell from the stack and landed on the fork controls. The forks went up and caused Employee #1's face to be rammed into the ceiling, 11.5 feet above the floor. Employee #1 suffered multiple facial fractures. He also sustained a nonrepairable rupture of the right eye globe that resulted in permanent loss of sight in the right eye. Employee #1 was not an authorized industrial truck operator. An official from the local Fire Department notified the Division about the accident.