OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #810200
GASTON COUNTY DYEING MACHINE CO.
MT. HOLLY, NC·
Event description
EMPLOYEE KILLED IN OVERTURNED FORK LIFT
Investigation abstract
Employee #1 using a towmotor Model 91M281 forklift truck rated at 6000 lbs at 24 nter was exceeded. in. center was unloading 3 sheets of steel with dimensions of .25-in. by 96-in. by 240-in. weighing a total of 4902 lbs off of a flatbed trailer. The sheets we re fastened to the forks with C clamps. Employee #1 backed from the trailer and turned 90 degrees as he lowered the load from a height of 8 to10 ft which caused the rear of the towmotor to tilt up, and he jumped to the ground. The towmotor tilted to one side causing the steel plates to hit the ground on that side. Empl oyee #1 received a fatal head injury as the other side of the load fell to the g round, striking him. The towmotor maximum load capacity of 3714 lbs at 48 in. ce
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 21 Male
- Nature of injury
- Concussion (6)
- Part of body
- HEAD (13)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- METAL PRODUCTS (28)
- Occupation
- Industrial truck and tractor equipment operators (856)
- Human factor
- EQUIP. INAPPROPR FOR OPERATION (6)
- Environmental factor
- OVERHEAD MOVING/FALLING OBJ AC (6)
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.