A 49-year old male forklift operator (decedent) died when the canopy of a straddle fork that overturned crushed him. A straddle fork is a forklift-like machine that has forks for lifting fruit bins up to a hydraulic stacking system on the front of the machine and straps that come over the top to secure the bins. The decedent was moving bins of lemons during harvest. He was moving the bins from the orchard to an area where they were later retrieved by hydraulic trailer. The decedent decided to move four bins of lemons down a hill using the straddle fork. This was not an area in which the straddle fork was intended to be operated. As he was traveling down the hill, the straddle fork picked up speed and went off the road into a ravine. The straddle fork had no seat belt and the decedent was thrown from the operator's seat. The employer had no operator's manual for the straddle fork. Training documentation was available but it did not specifically address emergency actions necessary to regain braking control. The employer had a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). The CA/FACE investigator determined that, in order to prevent future occurrences, employers should as part of their Injury and Illness Program: (1) Ensure straddle forks are equipped with seatbelts for the use of the operator. (2) Ensure straddle forks are equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS). (3) Ensure employees are formally trained in all aspects of straddle fork use including emergency procedures. (4) Ensure employees operate machinery only in their designated areas. (5) Provide an operator's manual with the equipment and use it for training purposes. Additionally, manufacturers should: (6) Design straddle forks with properly engineered rollover protective structures and equip them with seatbelts.
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for California: Forklift Operator Dies When His Straddle Fork Overturns and Crushes Him
2000
7 pages
Report
No indication
English
Public Health & Industrial Medicine , Job Environment , Manufacturing Technology , Accidents , Occupational safety and health , Accident analysis , Calfornia Region 9 , Forklift operator , Straddle fork , Hydraulic stacking system , Hill , Operator thrown from forklift , Operator crushed , Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE)