Category: Companies by Name|Forklifts|Worker Deaths

Details of two more alleged Texas fatal work injuries involving a forklift follow, as provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):

Employee is Killed in a Forklift Accident

On May 30, 2019, an employee with Mount Franklin Foods, LLC in El Paso, Texas, was allegedly killed in an industrial accident involving two forklifts. At 6:45 a.m., the employee was in an elevated position on a work platform situated on a forklift. Another forklift struck the employee’s lift, which caused it to fall over. The work accident killed the employee.

The employer was cited for three alleged serious OSHA violations and initial proposed penalties totaled $37,886. Before the case was closed, the amount was reduced to $18,900.

An Employee Suffers Fatal Work Injuries After Being Pinned by a Forklift with Defective Brakes

An employee of WCA Waste Corporation of Texas, LP in Houston, Texas, allegedly suffered fatal injuries in a preventable workplace accident that occurred on April 15, 2019. At 2:30 p.m. that day, the employee was raising a ramp to secure a forklift in a truck when he noticed that a forklift was backing up toward him through the ramp. The employee used his hands in an attempt to stop the oncoming forklift and was struck by it. The forklift pinned his arms and abdomen, causing fatal injuries. It was determined that the brakes were defective on the forklift that struck the employee. Employers are required to take steps for the safety of workers, and keeping industrial vehicles properly maintained is among those requirements.

The employer was cited for three alleged OSHA safety and health violations and faced an initial proposed penalty of $19,511. Before the case was closed, the penalty amount was reduced to $13,000.

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, and this ongoing series to learn more about Texas work injuries associated with forklifts that occurred in January 2020 and late 2019 as well as more information about the hazards of forklifts.

–Guest Contributor

Details of two more alleged Texas fatal work injuries involving a forklift as provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) follow:

Employee is Run Over by Forklift and is Killed

On September 4, 2019, an employee of Allied Tub & Conduit Corporation in Houston, Texas, allegedly died from injuries sustained in an industrial accident. At about 2 pm that day, the employee was walking through a hallway when he was suddenly struck and run over by a forklift. The operator of the forklift was unable to see over the vehicle’s load and was not able to avoid striking the employee, who died from his injuries.

The employer was cited for two alleged serious safety and health OSHA violations, and proposed penalties initially totaled $23,679. The final penalty amount before the case was closed came to $15,533.

An Employee is Killed When Forklift Tips Over

An employee of C & C Sage, Inc., in San Antonio, Texas, was allegedly killed on the job on July 4, 2019. At 12:15 a.m., the employee was working as a forklift operator and was operating a forklift with an attachment. The forklift tipped over. The employee suffered fatal injuries as he was ejected and struck his head on the mast of the forklift.

The company was initially cited for five alleged serious safety violations and faced a penalty totaling $27,846, which was later adjusted to $22,275 when two of the initial citations were removed.

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and this ongoing series to learn more about Texas work injuries associated with forklifts that occurred in January 2020 and late 2019 as well as more information about the hazards of forklifts.

–Guest Contributor

Employers have a duty to provide workers with a safe work environment. This is usually best accomplished by following OSHA safety guidelines, which are detailed and usually comprehensive. When it comes to the dangers of forklifts, for example, one way to show due diligence in reducing risk is to keep industrial vehicles well-maintained. Faulty machinery can lead to tragedy, as was the case in the following tragic example of another forklift-related Texas workplace fatality.  The details are in a fatal injury report prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):

Houston, Texas, Employee Pinned by a Runaway Forklift is Killed

• On April 15, 2019, an employee of WCA Waste Corporation of Texas, LP out of Houston, Texas, was allegedly killed due to a malfunctioning forklift. The incident occurred at 2:30 p.m. An employee was in the process of raising the ramp on a truck to secure a forklift when he saw that a forklift was backing up toward him through the ramp. The employee attempted to stop the forklift using his hands, and the forklift, which had defective brakes, struck him. The employee died from injuries sustained as his arms and abdomen were pinned. The employer was cited for two alleged safety violations, one being serious and the other an “other than serious” alleged violation. The initial proposed penalty was $19,511.

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and this continuing series to learn about serious Texas work injuries involving forklifts. In the next installment, learn about how injured employees and their families can get help from a Texas work injury attorney. Also, learn the difference between an employer who is a Non-Subscriber and one that carries workers’ compensation, as regards on-the-job injuries. Safety guidelines for forklift operators will also be reviewed further on.

–Guest Contributor