A Forklift-Related Death in San Antonio, Texas, Highlights Danger
Forklift accidents are a potential threat to many employees of big-box stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, Amazon, and Lowe’s, none of which are likely subscribers to the workers’ compensation program of insurance in Texas. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted an inspection of a general freight trucking facility in San Antonio, Texas, in August of 2021 after a fatal work accident involving a forklift was reported.
A Fatal Texas Work Accident Involves a Forklift
On August 4, 2021, a Texas worker was helping a forklift operator in a job involving a water pipe that was resting on the forks of a front-end loader. The forklift operator began moving the industrial vehicle without first notifying the other worker who had been assisting him. In addition, the forklift operator did not have a line of sight with the other employee. When the movement began, the water pipe shifted, rolled, and crushed the other employee against the trailer, which killed him.
The inspection did not result in the issuance of citations for safety violations.
Each year, forklift-involved accidents cause, on average, 85 workplace fatalities and 34,900 serious injuries, according to OSHA. Learn about safety requirements in connection with forklifts in this series on forklift-related workplace hazards.
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