Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301994992 - Total Logistics Corp.

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge Area Office

Investigation Summary

On May 19, 1999, Employee #1, age 19, began work as part of a longshoring crew unloading the general cargo ship, Seaboard Chile. His job was to hook and unhook slings and shackles from cargo containers coming off the ship. At approximately 5:00 p.m., Employee #1 got onto a Clark forklift, serial #11138, and drove it into section #21 of the warehouse. As he entered the building, he turned sharply, causing the lift to tip to the left. Employee #1 tried to jump from the vehicle but the top of the overhead guard struck him across the neck, pinning him to the floor. He was killed. A seat belt was provided on the lift and there was a safety decal on the truck cautioning operators to use it, which Employee #1 was not. There was also a warning decal on the lift not to jump off. It was not known why Employee #1 got into the forklift and began driving it, but he may have seen his coworker/cousin as he was headed toward him. Employee #1 should not have been on the forklift and the general foreman, who was standing near the vehicle, should have warned him to stop as he was not designated to drive it. Employee #1 had attended a gangway safety procedure meeting shortly after 8:00 a.m. that morning. The vessel manager had also shown him the hooking and unhooking procedures, as well as how to enter and exit the personnel basket to get to the tops of the containers.

Keywords: LONGSHORING, IND TRK OPERATOR, PINNED, WORK RULES, ROPS, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, MECH MAT HANDLING, NECK, SHARP TURN, OVERTURN