Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1490466.015 - Stihl Incorporated

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Norfolk (Regional Office) - Safety 0355112

Investigation Summary

At 10:27 a.m. on August 28, 2020, Employee #1 needed to access pallets on shelves that were blocked by a stand-up forklift that had been parked and left by another employee. Employee #1 parked his sit-down forklift, then moved the stand-up forklift forward so it was not blocking his access to the pallets. By doing so, Employee #1 created a narrow space between the stand-up forklift and a stack of boxes on the opposite side of the aisle. He then proceeded to straighten some pallets on the shelves, while standing between the stand-up forklift and the sit-down forklift. A minute later, a coworker turned his forklift into the aisle where Employee #1 was working. The coworker did not slow down as he neared the narrow space between the parked stand-up forklift and the stack of boxes. After his forklift was half-way between the forklift and the boxes, he quickly turned to correct his path so he would not strike the shelves. This caused the rear end of his forklift to strike the parked stand-up forklift, pushing it forward, and pinning Employee #1 between the stand-up forklift and his sit-down forklift. Employee #1 broke his pelvis and was hospitalized.

Keywords: Aisle, Broken Bone, Caught Between, Forklift, Fracture, Pallet, Pelvis, Pinned, Stand-Up Forklift, Storage Rack, Struck By