Inspection Detail

Inspection: 104463641 - J. Norman Geipe Van Lines, Inc.

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

Investigation Summary

An inventory clerk and forklift driver worked for a small moving and storage company. He had been with the company for 35 years and had worked mostly in the warehouse alone or with another as a forklift driver. The company had been in the warehouse for 3 years. Most of the warehouse space was taken by standard 5-foot by 7-foot by 7-foot storage boxes. According to a master plan, a small two-row section was reserved for overseas boxes, which varied in size and which were kept on a list by the inventory clerk. In his absence, information on new arrivals would be passed to him later to keep his list current. Consequently, the clerk usually knew exactly where each box was. One Monday, he discovered that he had not gotten information on some boxes that came in during an earlier day off, so he set about locating them. Company rules require a space to be left along outside walls; and, in the overseas section, a small space is maintained between the two rows to accommodate differences in box sizes. The clerk's search led to a box in the row nearest the wall. He climbed on top of that box to check labels. There was a 2-foot clearance between this box and the next one in the row. His foot slipped, and he fell between the boxes. He worked his way out along the wall and sought medical assistance. He received outpatient care that day for cracked ribs and a torn left shoulder muscle.

Keywords: SHOULDER, WAREHOUSE, SLIP, RIB, FALL, FALL PROTECTION