Worker is Injured by Power Jack in Warehouse

Case Overview

This case involves an individual who was injured by an electronic pallet jack while on the job. Allegedly, the pallet jack was set up in a way that was inappropriate for the job at hand, which caused a dangerous situation for the employee who was tasked with using it. As a result of the mistakes allegedly make by warehouse employees in setting up the jack for the plaintiff, a wider investigation of training received by the warehouse’s employees was also initiated.

Questions to the Occupational Health and Safety expert and their responses

What is your familiarity with motorized hand trucks?

I am very familiar with electric pallet jacks, and have worked as an expert in several cases involving injuries caused by accidents using electric pallet jacks.

What is your familiarity with safety protocols and training for warehouse employees?

I am also very familiar with OSHA 1910.178 & ANSI/ITSDF B56.1, which covers design, training, operation and maintenance of powered industrial trucks.

When training a new employee, how important is it to ensure that the settings on the lift are configured correctly?

In case of a new employee, the hand tool should always be used at a lower setting and at lower power.

About the expert

This highly qualified expert has over 35 years of experience in providing safety training for forklift use. Certified as a Forklift Instructor by the National Safety Council and as an OSHA Authorized General Industry Trainer, his expertise includes various warehouse systems and industrial truck classes 1-7 including electric forklifts, pallet jacks, and tug tractors. He has authored two publications on lift truck and forklift safety training. He also created computer-based operator training programs for forklift use at large companies. His previous positions include sales and training instruction for various companies including Raymond Handling Concepts Corp. and Exide Corp. He currently works as President of a forklift safety consulting firm.