Fork Truck/Pallet Stacks Incident

28. March 2013 Admin Safety Flash (0)

Fork truck driver was moving stacked pallets into a storage area when the top of the stack he was moving came in contact with the top of a stack that had already been placed causing two pallets to fall onto the roof of the fork truck breaking the glass in the top of the driver’s cab. The fork truck driver did not visually inspect the storage area prior to beginning this task. The fork truck driver was in hurry because it was near the end of his shift. The rows of the storage area are narrow and do not allow very much space for fork truck drivers to operate. The pallets were held together with a single thin band which broke upon contact allowing the two pallets to fall onto the top of the fork truck. The pallets are shipped in stacks of twenty, the height of the stacks make it very difficult to see the top of the stack from the fork truck cab.
Factors to consider at your site and/or project include, but not limited to the following:
1. Always perform a visual inspection of your work area and equipment prior to beginning any task. 2. Always take the time to complete a task safely, or make other arrangements with your management to have the task completed safely by another person. 3. If you feel that an unsafe situation exists, such as the rows being too narrow in a storage area, inform your management of your concerns. 4. Observe the way that materials are received and make suggestions to your management regarding ways to make your task safer, such as requesting that pallets be received in shorter stacks from the outside vendor.
*Consider this example as you complete today’s work activities.*
Safety Flash Action Items: Date Contractor Safety Flash posted for all employees to review: _______________ Safety Talk meeting date: _______________ Full employee attendance and participation at safety meeting to review this incident (documentation required). Employees understand urgency in protecting themselves and others. Supervisors and Employees are clear which items shared in this Safety Flash are mandatory. Employees/Supervisors will focus on recommended actions during future work activities of a similar nature. Contract Firm Management Rep Signature____________________ Date____________ THINK about the hazards associated with your particular work, and the steps that can be taken to increase safety on your job. If you have questions about this CONTRACTOR SAFETY FLASH, please contact [email protected]

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Fork Truck/Pallet Stacks Incident

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