Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307334565 - Gourmet Appliance Outlet

Inspection Information - Office: Oakland District Office

Investigation Summary

On the afternoon of August 3, 2004, Employee #1, a warehouse manager for Gourmet Appliance Outlet was assigned to travel to one of the company's vendors to prepare some appliances for transport. His task was to inspect the appliances and wrap them in plastic shrink-wrap. One of the appliances was a side-by-side refrigerator-freezer with doors mounted vertically and swung outward from the unit. The motor was located in the top of the unit and weighed 650 lbs. The manufacturers Installation Instructions International Safety Alert Symbols or other language warnings of a tip over hazard were not attached to the outside of the refrigerator. Other employee of the vendor attached a "Post-It" note stating "be careful might tip". The refrigerator was to be shipped on a specially designed pallet. It was to be kept on a pallet until it was installed because of the tip over hazard. Some of the bottom components of the refrigerator were damaged in transit. The vendor took the refrigerator off its pallet to make the repairs. After the repairs were made, the vendor's service manager placed a sign on the door of the refrigerator stating "OK to sell." A handwritten text under the printed portion was the caption "Needs pallet". Although the appropriate pallet was on site, the refrigerator was not put on it. The unit sat in that condition for approximately five days. Prior to the incident, the vendor's service manager showed the sign to Employee #1 and posted it. However, the vendor did not abate the tip over hazard. Employee #1 opened the doors to the refrigerator and it fell on him. He was pinned against a gas range and sustained the blunt force trauma to the chest, as well as the neck and back strain. He was hospitalized.

Keywords: CHEST, REPAIR, WAREHOUSE, PINNED, BACK, NECK, PALLET, STRUCK BY, DOOR, SPRAIN