Inspection Detail

Inspection: 108965039 - Fresh Express, Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta West Area Office

Investigation Summary

On September 21, 1994, Employee #1 went to lunch at approximately 1:00 p.m. She sat down to eat her lunch at one of four tables that had been placed along the back wall of an aisle. The aisle was approximately 26 ft wide at that point; about 6 ft was taken up by the tables and chairs, leaving 20 ft of aisle for foot and forklift traffic. At about the same time she went to lunch, another employee stopped the forklift he was driving about 20 ft from the lunch tables in order for him to visit the rest room. A third employee, who was on lunch break, saw the forklift and got on it and drove in the direction of the lunch tables. When the forklift's operator came out of the rest room, he saw the forklift being driven off by the individual whom he knew was not trained to operate a forklift. He yelled at him to stop. A supervisor saw what was happening and yelled for the driver to stop because she also knew he was not authorized to operate a forklift. The employee drove the forklift past Employee #1 for about 10 ft and stopped the forklift. He then put it in reverse, lost control, looked over his left shoulder and pulled on the wheel at the same time, and turned the forklift directly into Employee #1, crushing her between her chair and the table. She sustained massive internal injuries and died shortly after her arrival at the hospital.

Keywords: WORK RULES, CRUSHED, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, INEXPERIENCE, LOST CONTROL, UNTRAINED, HORSEPLAY, BACKING UP