Inspection Detail

Inspection: 109304014 - Dalton Foam Division Of Nc Foam Ind.

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta West Area Office

Investigation Summary

The employer recycles scrap bedding into carpet mats. Trucks of shredded bedding are unloaded at the receiving area all day. According to plant management, scrap bedding was only cleaned from the floors between every eight-hour shift. Consequently, at times the floor was completely covered with scrap, creating a slippery condition. Employee #1, untrained and unauthorized, mounted a forklift and traveled at a high rate of speed into the receiving area. A witness stated that Employee #1 realized that he was going too fast and it appeared that he would hit a wall. Employee #1 spun the wheel rapidly to turn the forklift, and the lift skidded on the scrap bedding and overturned. Employee #1 tried to jump off the lift, but jumped in the direction that the lift was falling. According to the witness, Employee #1 was crushed under the lift's boom and killed. The employer had extensive forklift training records and operators that were interviewed stated that they received on the job training, watched a training video, and were tested before being allowed to operate a lift truck. Employee #1's supervisor stated that he had just left Employee #1 alone for a few minutes and he got on the forklift on his own. The scrap on the floor may have contributed to the accident, but it was not the cause. Employee misconduct was the cause.

Keywords: BOOM, SPEEDING, WORK RULES, CRUSHED, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, SHARP TURN, SLIPPERY SURFACE, UNTRAINED, OVERTURN