R.E.R. Inc: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jul 27, 2018: Employee falls from forklift forks and receives multiple inj

At 6:15 a.m. on July 27, 2018, an employee and two coworkers were attempting to place an approximately four-foot by eight-foot piece of plywood on a box truck. Normally done by hand, Coworker #1 began to operate a forklift (Komatsu FG35ST6) to lift the plywood to assist in the work. The plywood began to wobble while on the forks of the forklift so the employee and Coworker #2 stood on opposite sides of the plywood to stabilize it. With the employee and Coworker #2 standing on the plywood on the forks, Coworker #1 began to move the forklift towards the box truck to load it with the forks approximately three feet above the ground. Coworker #1 found that the plywood was approximately a foot too low and began to raise the forks so the plywood could be loaded. While raising the plywood, the front of the wood caught on the underside edge of the truck causing Coworker #2 to lose his balance and jump into the truck. The plywood became unbalanced and flipped the employee approximately eight feet into the air and fall down striking the left fork with the employee's chest on the way to the cement surface. The employee received extensive lacerations to the left side of the employee's face and head along with contusions to the chest and a strained left shoulder. The employee was hospitalized for treatment of the injuries. employee was hospitalized for treatment of the injuries.