Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126185396 - Clearview Windows And Doors

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

On November 5, 2002, two employees were discarding crates of plate glass into a trash container with a forklift. The glass was contained in a wooden T-bar crate, which was approximately 4 ft tall by 6 ft long by 12 in. deep, and weighed approximately 2,000 lbs. An employee and his coworker had discarded one crate of glass into the trash container when the supervisor told him to go get another crate of glass. He drove the forklift with the crate out to the container. The supervisor told him to unload this crate from the side of the container, rather than from the front of the container as they had done with the previous load. The employee told his supervisor that the wooden crate looked old and cracked. The coworker had used a crowbar to open one side of the crate while the employee was standing next to him. After opening the side, the employee took the crowbar and walked in front of the crate towards the other side. As he was walking, the crate started to fall over. He heard his coworker say "be careful" and he tried to get out of the way of the falling crate, but the crate hit his right foot as he was moving away. His right ankle was crushed. Emergency Medical Services was called and he was taken to Henry Mayo Hospital, where he was hospitalized for four days. He had surgery on his right ankle to insert two plates and nine pins and was in physical therapy.

Keywords: CRATE, CAUGHT BETWEEN, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, FOOT