Inspection Detail

Inspection: 306801614 - Industrial Recyclers Of Wisconsin

Inspection Information - Office: Appleton Area Office

Investigation Summary

On September 9, 2005, Employee #1 and a coworker, both with Industrial Recyclers of Wisconsin, were cleaning plastic debris off a floor, in an area that was large enough for only one employee to work. Employee #1 was using a shovel in an aisle, between plastic bales. The plastic bales were stacked three to four high, with wooden pallets between each bale. When the coworker noticed that the shovel noise had stopped, he checked and found Employee #1 lying on the floor, bleeding profusely from his ears, nose and mouth. A large bale (approximately 30 in. by 50 in. by 60 in.) of plastic recycling material, weighing about 1,100 pounds, was found near his feet. When the police arrived, the bale was being held upright by two other workers. The handle of the shovel was seen protruding from underneath the east side of the bale. Several employees stated that the bale had not been in that location prior to the accident. Apparently, the bale fell about 9.5 ft from the top of a stack of similar-sized bales and struck Employee #1, who sustained blunt force injuries to the chest and head. He was killed. The employer stated they had more plastic bales than are normally stored. The investigation revealed that several stacks of plastic bales appeared to lean and/or were poorly stacked. The employer provided safety training regarding material stacking during orientation.

Keywords: CHEST, HEAD, CLEANING, STRUCK BY, STORAGE AREA, UNSTABLE LOAD, UNSTABLE POSITION