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JICOSH Home > Case Studies > Case No.107
Case No.107

During unloading operations by a forklift at a delivery site, the forklift overturns and falls on the victim
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[Description of the Accident]

During operations using a forklift to move a load of goods, the forklift crashed into the gatepost, throwing the operator to the ground. The operator was killed when he was caught between the forklift and the ground.

The victim loaded 40 containers of pulp on a truck at a pulp manufacturing company at around 1:00 AM of the day of the accident, and arrived at the delivery site of a paper manufacturing company at 9:00 AM on the same day.


Upon his arrival, the victim was told by the person in charge of materials at the paper manufacturing company where to unload the goods and instructed to use the forklift in carrying out the unloading work.

At around 10:40 AM, the victim pulled down the side gate of the loading platform on the truck and started the unloading work by using the forklift designated by the paper manufacturing company.

At around 11:25 AM, the victim tried to use the clamp of the forklift in order to take hold of the containers of pulp remaining on the front portion of truck's loading platform. He moved the forklift at right angles to the truck platform and was trying to adjust the height and the width of the clamp. Suddenly, the forklift started to roll down the road, which had a three- to ten-degree decline, moved backwards and crashed into the gatepost of the paper manufacturing company.

The collision knocked the victim who was operating the forklift off of the machine, and the forklift turned over and caught the victim between the head guard and the ground.
[Causes supposed]

1. Despite the fact that the forklift was on sloping ground, the victim failed to apply the parking brake, and raised the clamp to adjust the height with the load.

2. While the victim should have used the inching brake pedal to stop the forklift as it started to move backwards on the downward slope, he stepped on the clutch pedal.

3. The forklift was being operated by a person without proper qualifications.
[Type of business] Mini-sized vehicle freight transport
[Caused by] Forklift
[Type of accident] Caught in or compressed by equipment
[Number of victims] One fatality


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