Inspection Detail

Inspection: 18847681 - Four States Christian Missions Inc

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

Investigation Summary

On August 6, 1987, Employee #1 and a coworker had gone to Public Opinion to pick up a load of paper. They returned to the Union Rescue Mission and were unloading the paper at the bailing room loading dock. The paper was in 60.5-in.-long by 30-in.-wide wooden carts. Employee #1 was operating a Clark 20B forklift (Serial No. 857-932) and had unloaded one cart of paper. He was preparing to unload a second and was backing the forklift to position it under the cart when he got too close to the edge of the dock. The forklift fell off, crushing him beneath it and killing him. Just before the accident, the coworker had yelled to Employee #1 that he was too close to the edge, but the employee apparently did not hear him. The truck that was being unloaded had been parked between the second supports from the east end of the 12-ft-wide dock, and its bed was above the level being unloaded. The dock was being used for storage of items waiting for disposal, thereby reducing the width of the travel lane. In the area where the forklift was operating, the dock measured 80 in. from a washing machine to the edge and 62 in. from a bed frame and motorbike to the edge. The Clark forklift involved in the accident had forks with 40-in.-long and 32-in.-wide extensions from outer edge to outer edge. The Mission provides no training in operating a forklift and routinely used the loading dock for storage of items waiting for disposal.

Keywords: IND TRK OPERATOR, DOCK, WORK RULES, CRUSHED, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, OFF LOADING, HOUSEKEEPING, UNTRAINED, BACKING UP