Inspection Detail

Inspection: 113895502 - Estes Express Lines 06#

Inspection Information - Office: Avenel Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:00 p.m. on March 7, 1997, Employee #1, a dockman, was operating a forklift truck. He was stripping a trailer containing common goods that was equipped with load bars of adjustable aluminum that supported the cargo. There were no witnesses to the accident, but a lift truck operator in the next trailer noticed after moving a load from one trailer to another that Employee #1 was in the same position and the truck had not moved. The other operator entered the trailer and discovered that Employee #1's neck had become caught between the load bar and the forklift. Apparently, one side of the load bar had fallen down and Employee #1 attempted to raise it to the top by leaning outside the front of the industrial truck. As he did so, he accidentally knocked the industrial truck into gear, which caused the truck to move forward. Employee #1 became trapped between the load bar and the truck. He was killed.

Keywords: IND TRK OPERATOR, VEHICLE IN GEAR, WORK RULES, CAUGHT BETWEEN, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, MECH MAT HANDLING, NECK, OFF LOADING