Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120304589 - Sportsmart

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 5:45 p.m. on December 16, 1999, Employee #1 and a coworker operating a Crown forklift went into the stack room of a sporting goods store to get a bicycle for a customer. The bike was in a box stored on top of an approximately 16 ft high rack. The coworker got behind the forklift controls and Employee #1 stood on the forks to be raised. He had been lifted to a height of approximately 9 ft when he asked to be lowered because he could not find the bike box. As the forks descended, he apparently placed his left hand on the moving mechanism to maintain his balance and to keep from falling, resulting in the amputation of his little finger. The forklift operator picked up Employee #1's severed finger and drove him to the hospital, where he was admitted for reconstructive surgery. The cause of the accident was allowing Employee #1 to be raised on a forklift that was not equipped with a platform. The forklift was provided with a manufacturer-approved platform, but it was loaded with the metal parts of shelves and was not available for use at the time of the accident. In addition, lifting a worker standing on the forks was contrary to the forklift manufacturer's operating requirements, indicated in the "warning" label displayed on the vehicle. The employer was cited for two serious, accident-related violations of T8CCR 3328(b) and T8CCR 3657(a)(1).

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, WORK RULES, RIDING ON EQUIPMENT, CAUGHT BETWEEN, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, MECH MAT HANDLING, ELEVATED WORK PLAT, UNSTABLE POSITION