Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315773614 - Greenwaste Recovery,Inc.Dba Greenwaste Ofpalo Alto

Inspection Information - Office: Foster City District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 5:30 a.m. on November 7, 2011, Employee #1 was driving a heavy-duty pickup truck with automatic transmission and a specialty truck-bed which was equipped with a rear forklift attachment to pick-up trash bins in the underground garage of a multi-unit residence facility. Due to the low clearance limitation between the access ramp and overhead obstructions, drivers must tilt the forks such that the trash bin will not be carried so high that it will hit the upper obstructions or so low that its wheels hit the ramp surface. Employee #1 lifted one of the 4-yard capacity bins and began to drive up the slope where he noticed that the bin had slipped off the forks and was rolling down the ramp. He quickly moved the column-mounted shifter to the left to put it in "Park" and exited the vehicle to attempt to stop the bin before it struck anything. Employee #1 ran down the length of the truck bed and around the rear fork assembly where he was able to stop the trash bin from rolling. When he turned back toward the truck, Employee #1 saw that it was rolling toward him, and he reached out in an attempt to guide one of the forks past a nearby support column. However, the fork pinned his left hand ring-finger against the column, crushing and partially amputating it prior to the truck fully striking the column. When he exited the vehicle, Employee #1 did not apply the parking brake prior to leaving it. He was taken by ambulance to Stanford Hospital, where he was treated and underwent surgery including removal of bone on his left ring finger. Employee #1 was released around 10:00 a.m. that same morning.

Keywords: GARBAGE TRUCK, AMPUTATED, BRAKE, FINGER, PINNED, DEBONING, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, STRUCK BY