Occupational Safety and Health: Forklift Incident - Case Study Example

Occupational Safety and Health: Forklift Incident On this date, 9th May, 2014 at 10.00 a.m., a major incident was reported to the office of Health and safety whereby a worker by the name Tina Robbins was hit by a pile of bins on the ankle from a forklift. She sustained major injuries to her ankle that put her out of work for three weeks and was admitted for treatment. After the initial investigations, Tina, who works at the quality inspection department, was in her place of work at the time of the accident and was going through her responsibilities as stipulated in the organization’s work ethics (Friend and James 23).

Therefore, it only means that Tina was accidentally hit by the bins while she was just performing her duties. On the other hand, the forklift operator had valid documents to prove that he was competent in his role. He was taken through a drug screen to ascertain whether he was working soberly, and all the results were negative. The initial investigation indicates that there were no barriers between Tina’s work station and the bins. So as the forklift operator pushed the bins from his side, they were drawn on the floor up to Tina’s work stations, hence smashing her against the table.

This only means that Tina, who had a broken ankle and a torn Achilles tendon as a result, is to be compensated by the company to the tune of $150,000 to cover for the injuries she attained, medical expenses, and the time away from work. According to the assessment of the work area, there are no demarcations in the quality assessment area where the bins are brought for final inspections before they are dispatched. The floor is left open with just a table at the end on one side. Without a doubt, this could be one of the main reasons for the occurrence of the accident.

The forklift operator was only trying to get the bins to Tina so she could easily reach them for inspection. He even immediately stopped after realizing that Tina was hit. Conclusion Considering all the events that took place on this day, leading to the accident, it is important to always uphold the safety measures in the workplace. Employers should always ensure that all employees adhere to health and safety measures. The investigation was done and it revealed that simple issues such as lack of demarcations to show the work boundaries could lead to major incidents.

To prevent such incidents from happening again, the company should consider investing in a scissor lift to help prevent the workers from straining their backs in efforts to try and reach the bins. Angle irons are also to be put in place as a safety measure so as to protect the workers in the inspection area from being hit by the bins on their legs. All these if implemented, will go a long way in ensuring the safety of every single worker in the company as well as save the company extra costs incurred in the form of compensations.

Countermeasures The work area for inspection should clearly mark out and barriers put between the inspection personnel and the bins being arranged (Friend and James 31). This should only leave a small opening for inspection personnel to get the bins out to the table without the fear of being hit. The forklifts should also be fitted with safety gadgets that detect if the bins are placed within the demarcations. Anything outside the marked area, the forklift should be alarming. Workplace area Walk way Work Cited Friend, Mark A, and James P. Kohn. Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Health.

Lanham, Md: Government Institutes, 2007. Print.