Inspection Detail

Inspection: 104412960 - Services Warehouseing & Trucking, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

EMPLOYEE #1 (A LOCAL DELIVERY DRIVER) AND HIS WAREHOUSE MANAGER WERE LOADING A MANUALLY OPERATED PALLET JACK INTO A TRUCK LOADED WITH CARTONS OF COMPUTER PAPER. THE TRUCK WAS FULLY LOADED EXCEPT FOR A SPACE ON ONE SIDE (2 CARTONS HIGH) WHICH WOULD ADMIT THE JACK WITH ITS FORKS POINTED FORWARD. THE JACK HAD BEEN MOVED BY ELECTRIC FORK TRUCK INTO POSITION AT THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. THE FORKS WERE ELEVATED TO SLIDE THE JACK ONTO THE CARTONS. THE DRIVER WAS ON ONE SIDE AND THE WAREHOUSE MANAGER ON THE OTHER. AFTER THE PALLET JACK WAS LOADED, THE DRIVER LOST HIS BALANCE (OR FOR SOME OTHER REASON) AND PULLED THE PALLET JACK HANDLE (KEPT VERTICAL BY A SPRING) DOWN ON HIS HEAD. THE BLOW FROM THE HANDLE KNOCKED HIM UNCONSCIOUS. THIS OCCURRED AT ABOUT 9 AM. HE WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL FOR X-RAYS AND GENERAL EXAMINATION. HE WAS RELEASED THAT AFTERNOON WITH NO KNOWN SPECIFIC INJURY EXCEPT A BUMP ON THE HEAD AND PAIN IN HIS NECK AND ONE ARM.

Keywords: DELIVERY WORK, LOADING, HEAD, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, STRUCK BY, JACK, CONTUSION