Inspection Detail

Inspection: 18870212 - Windsor Resort, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

TWO EMPLOYEES WERE CLEANING THE SUPPORTING POLES OF AN AMUSEMENT RIDE SO THAT IT COULD LATER BE PAINTED. ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES WAS OPERATING A CASE 4000 POUND CAPACITY FORKLIFT TRUCK AND THE OTHER (EMPLOYEE #1) WAS STEAM CLEANING THE SUPPORTING POLES WHILE STANDING ON A 4 BY 8 FOOT PLATFORM ELEVATED ON THE FORKS OF THE FORKLIFT TRUCK. THE PLATFORM AND EMPLOYEE WOULD BE ELEVATED AS FAR AS THE FORKLIFT COULD SAFELY EXTEND (ABOUT 28 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL), THEN THE EMPLOYEE WOULD CLEAN A SECTION OF POLE. HE WOULD THEN SIGNAL THE FORKLIFT OPERATOR WHEN HE WAS READY TO DESCEND. EVENTUALLY EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CLEANING A SECTION APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. WHEN HE FINISHED CLEANING THE SECTION HE SIGNALED THE FORKLIFT OPERATOR TO LOWER HIM TO GROUND LEVEL. THE OPERATOR PUSHED THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL FORWARD, SO THAT THE PLATFORM WOULD DESCEND. IT STARTED DESCENDING, THEN STOPPED ABOUT 9 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE OPERATOR MAINTAINED FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE LEVER, NOT NOTICING THAT THE PLATFORM HAD STOPPED DESCENDING. THIS CAUSED ALL PRESSURE IN THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDER TO BE RELIEVED. AS SOON AS EMPLOYEE #1 WALKED TO THE CENTER OF THE PLATFORM, THE LOAD WAS THEN CENTERED OVER THE FORKS AND THE FORK UNJAMMED. THE PLATFORM FREEFELL TO THE GROUND, EMPLOYEE #1 WITH IT. HE SUFFERED A CRUSHED LEFT HEEL AND A BROKEN RIGHT LEG AS A RESULT OF THE FALL. THE COMPANY ONLY LUBRICATES THIS FORKLIFT TWICE A YEAR, AND IT WAS IN NEED OF LUBRICATION WHEN THE PLATFORM JAMMED. FAILURE TO LUBRICATE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS ACCIDENT.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, CLEANING, JAMMED, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, FALL, ELEVATED WORK PLAT