Case report: #20OR010 Issued by: Oregon State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program Date of report: Dec. 7, 2020
On Feb. 28, 2020, a forklift operator died after being crushed by a loaded pallet of soft drink cans. The pallet, which weighed about 2,000 pounds, was on the top layer of a pallet row. Pallet rows were oriented back to back, with the front of the pallet row showing a barcode label on each pallet. The warehouse inventory management system directed the operator to pull pallets from a row that didn’t contain any product. For unknown reasons, the operator pulled four pallets from the back of the adjoining row, destabilizing the top layer of pallets. While the operator was cleaning up some cases that fell off one of the pulled pallets, the top layer pallet fell onto him from a height of approximately 20 feet, causing multiple and massive internal injuries to his head and body. The forklift operator worked the swing shift full time at the warehouse, as well as another job that started at 6 a.m., for a total of about 70 hours a week. Investigators believe fatigue caused by lack of sleep may have adversely affected the operator’s judgment.
To prevent similar occurrences, employers should:
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