1. Robert Poole St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company
Fork Lift Awareness
Robert Poole
St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company

2. Fork Lift Accidents
OSHA estimates that there are 680,400 forklift accidents each year (1997)
Approximately 90,000 employees suffer some type of injury

3. Fork Lift Accidents losses affect employees physical suffering
mental suffering

4. Benefits of Fork lifts Assist in the movement of materials
Reduce employee lifting injuries

5. Fork Lift potential problems
Pedestrians
Blind spots
Indoors/Outdoors
Narrow aisles (and aisle intersections)
Building columns
Operate 24 hours per day
Turning radius

6. Fork Lift and Pedestrians
Pedestrians contribute to accidents
Pedestrians do not understand stopping distances
Pedestrians tried to “beat” a lift truck

7. Methods used to reduce Fork Lift Accidents
Training of drivers
Maintenance of equipment
Areas of operation

8. Fork Lift Accidents Losses affect employers damage to equipment
loss productivity

9. A breakdown of the 680,400 accidents:
90,000 employees injured
100 deaths
Source: Powered industrial truck accidents report through OSHA’s “First report of serious accidents”

10. In percent what Causes Lift Truck Accidents?
Elevated employee on lift
Ran off loading dock
Tip over of fork lift
Struck by powered fork lift
Struck by falling load

11. In percent what Causes Lift Truck Accidents?
Improper maintenance procedures
Lost control of the fork lift
Fork lift struck material
Employees overcome by fumes
Faulty powered lift

12. In percent what Causes Lift Truck Accidents?
Electrocutions
Improper use of fork lift
Employee fell from fork lift
Unloading unchocked trailer