Inspection Detail

Inspection: 111810727 - Costco Wholesale

Inspection Information - Office: Oakland District Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was walking back to his work area from the restroom. As he went to make a right turn into the meat department, his left heel was struck and cut by the lower edge of a wooden pallet carried by a forklift. The employee was hospitalized for 2 days with lacerations on his left heel and a partial laceration of the Achilles' tendon. The employer's operation involves daily use of forklifts for stocking retail products for public purchase. The forklift involved in the accident had been rented that day and was a sit-down type. The employer's lifts are the standup type. The accident was a result of the rental lift being unfamiliar to the employee who was driving and his view being possibly obstructed.

Keywords: TENDON, OBSTRUCTED VIEW, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, LACERATION, PALLET, STRUCK BY, UNTRAINED, FOOT