Inspection Detail

Inspection: 97093.015 - Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Peoria Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:27 p.m. on July 31, 2011, an employee was operating a Taylor-Dunn, model: R-380, motorized cart, serial: 170417, on his way to help move batteries. The employee was the only one in the cart. The employee had cut through the warehouse to arrive at the location. The employee had just entered into a warehouse from the outside, where it was clear and sunny. The lights in the warehouse had been off, as there had been a power outage. However, bay doors were open at the front of the building, which allowed an adequate amount of natural light into the area. According to the employer, the employee had driven the motorized cart into one of the bay doors and drove west approximately 60 feet, when he began swerving slightly. The employee had driven a total of 152 feet from when he had entered the building to where he had hit the beam. The employee frequently traveled this same path on the motorized cart to get to various locations in the mill or while hauling materials. Tracks could be seen through the slight amount of dust and dirt on the floor, but the floor was dry. There had been no witnesses in the warehouse at the time of the accident. The bottom of the beam was approximately 39.5" inches, while the top of the beam was 45.5" in height. The employee struck the beam on the right side of his chest, suffering multiple injuries to the chest and abdomen. The employee was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where he passed away at 5:03 pm. At the time of the incident, the employee had been wearing clear safety glasses and head protection. Contributing factors to the accident may have been that the employee's eyes had not adjusted after entering the building, lack of training on the safe operation of the cart, and unmarked permanent aisle ways.

Keywords: Crushing, Powered Industrial Vehicle, Struck By