Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312690829 - Coastal International, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: San Francisco District Office

Investigation Summary

On March 24, 2011, Employee #1, a 61-year-old male with Coastal International, was setting up a booth for one of the exhibitors in an Exhibit Hall. A wooden crate containing the unassembled booth and materials, measuring approximately fifty five inches wide by fifty five inches tall, and a one hundred and two inches long was being delivered by forklift by a coworker from the loading dock via forklift to the booth location in the Exhibit Space. The crate originally had four wheels attached to its base for support and moving around. Prior to unloading the crate from the truck at the loading dock, two of the wheels on one side of the crate had already broken off. The wheels were set atop the crate, and the crate was brought to the booth area before the wheels cold be repaired. The coworker who was assigned to bring the crate to the exhibitor's booth, had to set down the crate and move other freight that was in the aisle and blocking the path on the way to the exhibitor's booth. In the course of setting down the original crate, Coworker found that there was much difficulty removing the forklift blades from under the crate. With the wheels missing on one side, there was significantly less space between the bottom of the crate and the floor, which made the process of withdrawing from under the crate difficult. Employee #2 recognized that it would be more efficient to prop up the side of the crate without wheels, to facilitate withdrawal of the forklift blades. Employee #2 then reloaded the crate onto the forklift, pulled up to the booth location, stopped the forklift, and asked Employee #1, who was working at the booth, for assistance in propping up the one side of the crate. From the vantage point of the forklift driver's seat, the left side of the crate was the side with the missing wheels. Employee #1 came over to the forklift. There were no blocks or other objects that arrived with the forklift to prop up the crate. Standing on the left side of the crate (from the vantage point of the forklift operator), Employee #1 took one of the broken-off wheels that had been set atop the crate, knelt down, and set it under the corner of the crate nearest the forklift. Employee #1 was on his hands and knees, with his right hand not yet withdrawn from placing the wheel beneath the crate. At that time, the forklift operator lowered the crate, and the right thumb of Employee #1 was caught under the load, pinched between the wheel used to prop up the crate and the crate itself. Employee #1 instinctively withdraw his right arm, and his right thumb was degloved in the process. Factors leading to the injury were related to communication between Employee #1 and the coworker, lacked proper support for the crate prior to setting it down, and Employee #1 not being clear of a load prior to it being set down.

Keywords: CRATE, DEGLOVED, THUMB, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, COMMUNICATION