An Alabama worker was struck by a forklift and fatally injured last November.
An Alabama company was recently cited for struck-by hazards after a worker was fatally injured.
According to a press release, in Athens, Alabama, the worker was struck by a forklift when she was walking across a lumber shipping yard in November 2021. She was fatally injured.
OSHA cited Sunbelt Forest Products LLC, operating as Sunbelt Forest Products Corp., for not having marked paths for forklift operators and allowing workers to walk where they could not be seen by forklift operators. OSHA also found the company did not remove damaged forklifts from rotation, citing errors like cracked windshields and missing mirrors. Proposed penalties total $53,866.
“A forklift typically weighs between 4,000 to 9,000 pounds and poses significant risk of severe injury or death to workers who may be struck-by this equipment. Employers must take precautions in workplaces that use powered industrial vehicles to prevent devastating incidents and the loss of someone’s life,” said OSHA Area Office Director Ramona Morris in Birmingham, Alabama in the press release.
Forklift incidents claim dozens of lives every year. In 2017, 74 workers died due to incidents from forklifts, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That same year, 9,050 workers were injured from forklift incidents.
OSHA requirements for forklift safety are outlined in standard 29 CFR 1910.178. The maritime industry has additional standards. For more information and resources on forklift safety, visit OSHA.gov.
Alex Saurman is the Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety.
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