Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1692145.015 - Royalty Mooney And Moses

Inspection Information - Office: Toledo Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 1:09 p.m. on August 17, 2023, an employee working as a truck driver (owner/operator) was delivering wire rack materials to a drywall and insulation contractor. A coworker (forklift operator) who worked for the contractor was unloading the wire racking using a forklift with 48-inch forks. There was one stack of material left to be unloaded, which was located in the center of the trailer and was stacked three high. The trailer is 102 inches wide. The employee climbed on top of the trailer to assist with the offloading of material. The forklift was positioned as close to the trailer as possible, and the employee was positioned on the opposite side of the stack. The coworker began to lift the stacks of material as the employee tried to hold the stacks stable. The stacks toppled over toward the employee pushing him off the trailer and causing him to fall to the asphalt parking lot below. The coworker found the employee was unresponsive and bleeding from a contusion on his head and from the nose. Weather was not a factor. The forklift tines were too short to reach completely under the material to maintain a safe lift of material. Also, the employee's position was not appropriate for the task. The coworker called EMS who transported the employee to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he later died of a head injury.

Keywords: Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Fall, Fall From Elevation, Fall Protection, Forklift, Forks, Head, Laceration, Material Handling, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Multi-employer Worksite, Multiemployer, Parking Lot, Pavement, Trailer, Unloading, Unstable Load, Unstable Position, Work Surface