Inspection Detail

Inspection: 15164411 - Dick Wright Hardware Company Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Tennessee Osha Knoxville Office - Safety

Investigation Summary

DURING HIS REGULAR LUNCH PERIOD, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS ASSISTING A FELLOW EMPLOYEE IN THE SHIPPING DEPARTMENT. THEY WERE PLACING SHIPPING LABELS ONTO 8 METAL DOORS. (7 DOORS WEIGHED 104 POUNDS APIECE, THE EIGHTH DOOR WEIGHED 92 POUNDS.) THE DOORS WERE STACKED, LEANING, AGAINST THE WALL. AS THE SHIPPING DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE PULLED A DOOR AWAY FROM THE STACK AND AFFIXED THE SHIPPING LABEL, EMPLOYEE #1 WOULD HOLD IT IN A VERTICAL POSITION (AWAY FROM THE WALL). THIS LEAD TO A PROGRESSIVELY HEAVIER LOAD FOR EMPLOYEE #1. WHILE THEY WERE AFFIXING A LABEL TO ONE OF THE LAST DOORS, THE STACK SHIFTED. THE SHIPPING DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE WARNED EMPLOYEE #1 TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. AS EMPLOYEE #1 STEPPED BACKWARD, HE LOST HIS FOOTING AND FELL FORWARD, FACE FIRST, IN FRONT OF THE FALLING DOORS. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS KILLED INSTANTLY WHEN HIS HEAD WAS CRUSHED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF 6 OR 7 OF THE DOORS.

Keywords: HEAD, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, CRUSHED, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, LOST BALANCE, DOOR, UNSTABLE POSITION