Inspection Detail

Inspection: 18840512 - Noland Company

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

EMPLOYEE #1 WAS UNLOADING PVC PIPE FROM A TRUCK LOCATED AT THE EAST END OF A DOCK. THE TRUCK WAS PARKED HORIZONTAL TO A WAREHOUSE AND WAS LOADED WITH 22 LIFTS OF 20 FOOT LONG, ASSORTED SIZES OF PVC PIPE. THE PIPE WAS BANDED WITH THREE METAL AND THREE WOODEN BANDS LOCATED AT EACH END AND IN THE MIDDLE OF EACH LIFT. THE LOAD OF PVC PIPE WAS COVERED WITH SNOW. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE TRUCK, UNLOADING THE FIRST LIFT OF 7 INCH DIAMETER PIPE WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. ANOTHER EMPLOYEE, A CLERK'S HELPER, WAS ON THE YARD FORK LIFT APPROACHING THE TRUCK BEHIND EMPLOYEE #1. EMPLOYEE #1'S FORKLIFT WAS A CLARK, MODEL #C500-30, SERIAL #235-0087-5590 FA, TYPE LP. IT'S CAPACITY WAS 3000 LBS. THE LOAD OF PVC PIPE WHICH WAS BEING LIFTED WAS 2400 POUNDS. EMPLOYEE #1 HAD PLACED THE FORKLIFT FORKS UNDER THE CENTER OF THE LOAD AND WAS BACKING AWAY FROM THE TRUCK WITH THE FORKS RAISED TO A HEIGHT OF 11 FEET. ACCORDING TO THE THE CLERK'S HELPER, THE LIFT OF PIPE APPEARED BALANCED. AS EMPLOYEE #1 WAS BACKING AWAY, WITH THE FORKS RAISED, THE LIFT OF PVC PIPE SLID TO THE RIGHT KNOCKING THE FORKLIFT TO THE LEFT AND CAUSING IT TO TOPPLE OVER. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS STRUCK ACROSS THE HEAD AND NECK BY THE FORKLIFT'S OVERHEAD GUARD. HIS SKULL WAS FRACTURED AND HIS NECK BROKEN. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON A BLACKTOPPED SURFACE WHICH SLOPED GENTLY TOWARD THE DOCK. THE FORKLIFT FORKS WERE 29 INCHES WIDE. THE FORKLIFT BOOM WAS CAPABLE OF BEING RAISED TO A HEIGHT OF 14 FEET. EMPLOYEE #1 HAD BEEN EMPLOYED AS A RECEIVING CLERK FOR 10 YEARS. HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAINING NEW EMPLOYEES IN FORKLIFT OPERATION. THE EMPLOYEES WERE AWARE THAT PVC PIPE WAS SLIPPERY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WET OR DAMP.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEAD, OVERHEAD GUARD, CRUSHED, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, NECK, STRUCK BY, OVERTURN, UNSTABLE LOAD