Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119894558 - Gemini Mechanical Services

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

Victim #1 was the wife of the owner of Gemini Mechanical Services, which did demos on chillers and related electrical gear. The owner's residence was also used as a warehousing operation with a small workshop. The victim was at the residence/warehouse when three pieces of electrical switch gear were delivered there by a common carrier. No employees of the corporation were at the site. Victim #1 spoke to the truck driver, and it was decided to unload the gear with the help of the victim's father, who also lived on the property and who had dropped by to take his daughter to lunch. The victim's father agreed to operate the forklift. The gear weighed approximately 1,800 lb per section. The gear was pulled to the tipping point by the father's forklift. Using the same forklift, the father then placed one fork under the gear and removed the gear to clear the truck. With the gear still 50 in. off the ground and resting on just one fork, he obtained a second forklift to attempt to force the forks under the gear. The gear dropped on Victim #1, killing her.

Keywords: WORK RULES, LOAD SHIFT, CONSTRUCTION, CRUSHED, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, STRUCK BY, SWITCHGEAR, FALLING OBJECT, INATTENTION