On September 24, 2004, a 31-year-old forklift operator for a lumber company died when he was crushed between the couplings of two railcars. The victim was working with two other employees to position and 'couple,' or connect, the railcars for loading and shipping. One worker was operating a forklift, which was being used to push one loaded railcar toward a second, stationary, empty car, while the victim and the third worker acted as spotters. After noticing that the couplers (devices to connect the railcars) were not aligned properly and would not connect, the decedent pulled himself up the ladder on the moving car and attempted to kick the coupler into position. The two railcars hit, causing the victim to fall between them. He was subsequently crushed when the second railcar hit the railcar stop and recoiled back toward him. The second spotter immediately called for assistance by radio and emergency medical services (EMS) transported the victim to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for Oklahoma: A Lumberyard Forklift Operator Died After Being Crushed Between Two Railcar Couplings
2005
5 pages
Report
No indication
English
Public Health & Industrial Medicine , Environmental Health & Safety , Industrial Safety Engineering , Occupational safety and health , Accident investigations , Fatalities , Forklift operators , Equipment operators , Lumberyards , Warning , Coupling , Crush , Injury prevention , Railroad cars , Railcars , Industrial accidents , Accident prevention , Recommendations , Oklahoma