FACE Report: Lumber mill employee fatally struck by forklift

Case report: #2023OR01
Issued by: Oregon State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program
Date of report: Aug. 14, 2024

A lumber mill employee was preparing to cut lumber for a pallet order. His workstation was located inside a lumber shed between a forklift travel pathway and lumber storage area. Before exiting the pallet department to work at the yard saw station, the employee asked a co-worker to assist him with his earbuds. Although the company had a written policy against wearing earbuds while working, there was limited evidence that this policy was consistently enforced. Video footage showed that when the employee walked into the lumber shed, he stopped a few feet inside the shed in the typical forklift pathway. His back appeared to be turned toward the shed entrance. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and blue jeans and was within the shaded area of the lumber shed. He was not wearing his high-visibility vest. While the employee was standing in this location, a forklift drove around the corner outside of the building to enter the lumber shed. It was a sunny day, with the forklift driver facing southeast, which created a glare. Before entering the shed, the forklift driver honked the forklift horn. As the forklift entered the shed, the two 12-foot loads of lumber that were being transported struck the worker. When the forklift driver felt the collision, he initially thought he had run over some lumber. He called for help immediately when he realized what had happened. Another forklift driver assisted with the response, along with the site safety manager. Emergency medical services arrived within 10 minutes but the worker was already dead at the scene. Cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma.

To prevent similar occurrences, employers should:

• Design workstations to eliminate exposure to forklift traffic.
• Implement clear separation of forklift and pedestrian traffic.
• Use forklift engineering controls for collision prevention.
• Require high-visibility personal protective equipment.
• Provide clear workplace safety policies with training and enforcement.