Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program |
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Warehouse Forklift Operator Crushed Against Rack Beam |
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SummaryDuring the fall of 2003, a 35-year-old warehouse worker was killed when his forklift slammed into the edge of an empty horizontal metal rack beam. He was operating a standup reach forklift, which normally has the operator’s left side facing the rear of the machine. The man was driving his forklift in reverse down an alleyway when he crashed into the rack beam, which was in a T-intersection in the warehouse. This brand of forklift had an overhead guard to protect from falling objects, but had no protection from horizontal components entering the rear of the operator’s station. There was nothing on the pallet deck to cushion the impact, therefore, the man was crushed between the rack beam and the rear of the forklift mast, and died from traumatic asphyxia. There was no evidence the man was braking at the time, therefore his machine was likely traveling at 7 mph, its maximum speed. The man was an experienced worker and had no reason to be in a hurry at that time in his work shift. It is assumed he simply got distracted and was unaware he had entered the T-intersection. Another worker in the warehouse heard the sound of the crash and found the victim crushed in the machine. He was unable to move the forklift, then immediately called 911. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Recommendations based on our investigation are as follows:
IntroductionIn October, 2003, a 35-yearold male forklift operator was killed when his machine crashed into a horizontal rack beam in a warehouse. The Iowa FACE program was notified of this incident a few days later, and began an investigation, gathering information and photographs from local police, newspapers, the medical examiner, company spokesmen, and forklift manufacturers. The employer is a warehousing / distribution company, which had been in business for the past six years, handling parts and supplies for many types of industrial and agricultural machines. It had two warehouse locations and employed about 75 employees. The victim had worked at the company since it began, and was considered a good and dependable worker. He operated a stand-up reach forklift (commonly called a narrow-aisle forklift) in the warehouse area, his job title being parts picker. There were six other employees who operated these same machines, and another seven workers who drove sit-down forklifts. The company had rotating work shifts, and the victim’s work hours were normally from 6:00 pm to 2:30 am. The company had a comprehensive safety program with written policies and regular safety meetings held at least once per month. These covered a variety of safety issues, which employees were required to attend. All machine operators were certified, with annual re-certification by company-trained instructors. Company policy states that workers seen racing forklifts or otherwise operating them in an unsafe manner will be disciplined or fired. This was the first fatality for this company.
Back to TopInvestigationThis warehouse facility had 111,000 sq. ft. of storage space, and processed about 600 orders per day. Two employees usually worked per shift operating the stand-up reach forklifts as parts-pickers, while other employees sorted and packaged the parts on pallets to be loaded onto trucks for shipment to machinery dealers in the region. During the evening shift, orders were only assembled, to be loaded and trucked out the following morning. The stand-up reach forklifts were leased equipment and were battery operated units containing electric and hydraulic motor components. The machine the victim was using had been at the company for only six months, and was in excellent condition. It was a Caterpillar, model NRR45, which had a lift capacity of 4,500 lbs. and a maximum elevated height of 300 inches. This 36-volt machine is classified as a Class II, Lift Code 3, standup reach powered industrial truck.(1) By convention, the front of this machine is the load-bearing end, and on this model, the operator stands facing the left side of the machine. (see Photo 4).
There were two forklift operators working on the night the incident occurred, the only two employees in the building. Employees were required to work in pairs for safety and logistical reasons, with each worker in opposite ends of the warehouse. The two forklift operators would occasionally overlap their work areas and had to be aware of the other operator’s position. As parts picker, the victim assembled multiple packages from various pallet racks to be loaded the next morning into trucks. The victim had started his shift at 6:00 pm., and had no known reason to be in a hurry. He was in the middle of assembling an order, returning empty from the docking area. He was driving in reverse down an aisle which had aisle ends to the left of his machine and a white wall to the right side of the machine (see Photo 3). Behind the forklift, at the end of the T-intersection was an open and empty metal rack beam, the lower edge of the beam at a height of 54 inches. The victim was driving with the forks down when he slammed into the empty rack beam, which instantly crushed him against the rear of the mast section of the machine, causing fatal internal injuries (see Photo 4). There was no indication that the victim was in the midst of a turn or was braking when he crashed into the beam, therefore, it is assumed he was simply distracted while driving or not watching where he was going. The height of the machine console was 52 inches, which perfectly fit underneath the empty beam. The forklift did not have any vertical corners / posts at the rear of the machine or other means to prevent a horizontal shelf or rack beam from entering the operator’s work area. The other employee in the building heard the load sound of the crash and rushed to find his coworker crushed between the metal beam and the front of the operator’s compartment, his body slumped over the beam itself. He shouted to his friend with no response, then, tried unsuccessfully to move the forklift away from the beam. He immediately phoned 911 and returned to aid his friend. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The co-worker had talked to the victim just 30 minutes prior to the incident, and had not noticed anything unusual about his demeanor or mood. They were friends, and the victim was known to be a hard-working employee, and had an exemplary record. The involved forklift was tested numerous times and found to be in normal working condition, including its brakes.
The lights in the area of the crash were all working properly, and the floor was not littered, wet, or defective, but was smooth concrete (see Photo 3). Paint markings on the floor were very faint and worn, but the markings were for pedestrian traffic, and not for machine operators. There were numerous similar T-intersections in the warehouse area, and many intersections were equipped with convex mirrors. This forklift had a top speed of 7 mph (11 km/h), however, it is not known how fast the machine was traveling at the time of impact. In this warehouse, the height of rack beams varies according to product needs. In most cases the height of the first beam was 36-48 inches, but in this area of the facility, the bottom edge of the first rack beam was at 54 inches. The height of the forklift operator station was 52 inches; therefore it easily slipped under the rack beam (see Photo 4). If the pallet decks had been full of merchandise, it is likely the machine itself or the overhead guard would have hit merchandise on the deck, cushioning the impact and throwing the operator against the beam and anything on the pallet. At 7 mph. serious injury would be possible, but fatal internal injuries would likely not occur. Since this incident the company has removed the rack beam at this T-intersection, since it was the only one in the area with rack beams set at 54 inches. All other T-intersections had racks with lower beam heights. An identical crush hazard may exist in every narrow aisle in this warehouse, for when the forklift is positioned perpendicular to a rack beam to raise or lower a load, the operator could pull too far in reverse and drive under the rack beam on the opposite side of the aisle. These machines are termed “narrow aisle” reach trucks, designed for use in tight quarters, and this model has a turning radius of approximately eight feet. The narrower the aisle, the greater likelihood of this type of injury occurring again, however, in this scenario, the machine would likely be traveling at a much slower speed. Back to TopCause of DeathThe cause of death was listed as, “traumatic asphyxia due to chest compression by a forklift.” An autopsy revealed no presence of alcohol or drugs. Recommendations/DiscussionRecommendation #1: Operators of industrial forklifts should always be diligent to face the direction of travel, mindful of their exposure to warehouse hazards that could enter their work station.Discussion: In this warehouse, most of the rack beams were at a height lower than the forklift machine console, where a collision with a beam would impact the body of the forklift, and not directly endanger the life of the operator. Perhaps the victim was unaware of higher rack beams in the facility that could enter his work station and cause injury. Therefore, it is imperative that workers become aware of this hazard, and be on the alert for hazardous areas where they work, especially at T-intersections where machine operators may be braking, making turns, watching mirrors, etc. Workers should always be mindful of their location within a facility, especially if they are operating a machine which does not have vertical posts to protect from horizontal hazards like rack beams.
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