Forklift trucks may be slow-moving but they cause numerous serious workplace accidents. We read regularly about forklift truck accidents in Georgia.
In a recent incident, a port worker from Savannah in Georgia was killed when she was struck by a forklift at the port. However, many accidents that cause serious injuries do not make headlines.
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), forklift trucks cause about 100 deaths and 95,000 injuries every year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics cites forklifts as being a factor in as many as one in six workplace fatalities.
Outlining forklift truck accidents in Georgia
Forklift trucks are heavy and they often operate in tight spaces with workers. They are used in construction, manufacturing, transportation, wholesale, and retail. Common types of forklift truck accidents in Georgia include:
- Crushing accidents in which the victims are trapped by a forklift or crushed between a forklift and another vehicle.
- Forklifts striking pedestrians.
- Forklift rollovers that may hurt the driver.
- Victims being struck by loads falling off a forklift.
- Crashes between forklifts and other vehicles.
Forklifts are prone to toppling over and are a major cause of serious industrial accidents. About 40 percent of forklift truck accidents with injuries in Georgia are caused when a forklift flips over.
Often poor training contributes to forklift truck accidents. Driving a forklift is more complicated than many people think but drivers are often inadequately trained.
More thorough training for drivers would likely improve the safety of forklifts. OSHA requires drivers to be correctly trained before operating this type of vehicle. A failure to adequately train an operator can prove fatal to the diver and other people working in the area.
In some cases, forklifts are inherently dangerous. They may lack important safety equipment like restraints or have a design fault. Negligence on the part of an employer, a building manager or another individual can result in a personal injury or a wrongful death lawsuit as well as a worker’s compensation claim.
For more details on what to do if you have been hurt in a forklift accident in Georgia, call the Law Offices of Michael West at (414) 913-1529.