Inexperience and Forklifts Don’t Mix

People who are not qualified to operate forklifts should stay clear of them. Here’s why: A worker who was instructed to unload pulp containers from a truck was fatally crushed after the forklift started rolling down a ramp and crashed into a gatepost. The victim was knocked out of the machine and crushed by it.

Investigators found the worker had depressed the clutch pedal instead of the inching/brake pedal when the machine began rolling backward. He had not set the parking brake.

Recommendations:

• Employers need to ensure that employees are properly trained and supervised in the operation of industrial trucks.
• Forklift operators should use seat belts.