It may not be surprising to you that worker and customers are involved in accidents with forklifts every year, but what may be surprising is that around 97,000 people are injured in these incidents each year. The accidents happen in warehouses and stores; all places where safety precautions should prevent injuries like these from occurring.
One story reported in the Feb. 8, 2017 news involved a man who was working at the Abercrombie and Fitch distribution center in Ohio. He had been working on an order picker forklift when a coworker collided with his machine by accident. The forklift tipped over, and the man didn’t survive.
His death is not the only one of this nature. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s data shows that around 85 forklift-related deaths take place yearly with close to 97,000 injuries each year. Forklifts are particularly dangerous, because the forks themselves can impale a person easily. Realistically, forklift accidents are as dangerous as any kind of motor vehicle accident with very real consequences.
How can people prevent these accidents? It’s up to employers to ensure employees complete training courses. These courses point out what can go wrong and help train individuals on how to use a forklift properly. Forklifts can weigh as much as four cars, making them particularly hazardous to work with.
If you’re involved in a forklift accident and suffer an amputation or injury, it’s important to know that you have a right to workers’ compensation through your employer. You deserve quality medical help, so you can get back your health and get back to living your life.
Source: Fox 28, “Forklifts hurt nearly 97,000 people every year,” Brooks Jarosz, Feb. 08, 2017
