An OSHA News Release determined the US Department of Labor found lack of training and other failures led forklift operator to suffer fatal injuries at Elm Mott tire distribution facility.
Responding to the June 2024 incident at Mitchell Industrial Tire Co. Inc.’s distribution center, OSHA inspectors found a widespread of safety failures that exposed dozens of employees to potentially serious and deadly injuries.
What Happened?
The OSHA news release stated that, as a result of their investigation, OSHA inspectors learned the forklift operator was struck by a falling pallet of industrial truck tires due to the failure of the pallet’s three-tier rack storage system.
The storage system failed for two reasons, the vertical supports were damaged and the horizontal beam locks were missing.
OSHA cited the company for 12 violations, some violations included:
- Failing to properly train forklift drivers
- And improperly storing unbanded pallets higher than 16 feet
Mitchell Industrial Tire now faces $288,299 in proposed penalties.
What Should’ve Been Done
The company is responsible for ensuring their workplace is free of hazards and providing a safe and healthy working environment for workers.
The employer could have:
- Performed a risk assessment to ensure the systems and equipment did not pose any hazards
- Inspected the rack storage system to ensure it was in good condition
- And provided training to workers who were operating forklifts
Resources
OSHA provides many resources for forklift safety.
JJ Safety offers safety training kits, safety meetings, and online safety training for forklift safety.