Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311090815 - The Waggoners Trucking, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Fort Lauderdale Area Office

Investigation Summary

Sometime before 4:41 p.m. on April 7, 2008, Employee #1 was unloading vehicles from the inside of an enclosed transport trailer at a used BMW car dealership in West Palm Beach, Florida. He had been employed by the company since April 5, 1998. Employee #1 was crushed when the car lift fell on top of him. The company's policy states that the operator is not to be under the load at any time when loading or unloading the vehicles. The investigation found that a line that was supposed to supply air to a safety latch was defective and not attached to the safety latch. The defective air line was wrapped around the safety latch to keep the latch in the retracted, or open, position. That way, the car lift could descend without engaging the safety latch. There were three other safety latches that did have their air lines attached.

Keywords: HYDRAULIC LIFT, SAFETY LATCH, ASPHYXIATED, INADEQUATE MAINT, COMPRESSED AIR, CRUSHED, AUTOMOBILE, STRUCK BY, TRAILER, FALLING OBJECT