In industrial companies, forklifts have proven to be one of the necessities in accomplishing the job. However, statistics have also revealed that forklifts present significant hazards to workers. Sadly, forklift accidents are one of the major causes of industrial deaths and injuries in the United States today.
Free Forklift Injury Accident Case Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a forklift accident, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.
What’s the problem?
Statistics say that about 100 workers are killed and about 20,000 are seriously injured by forklift accidents every year. Inadequate safety standards – including inadequate training, overzealous employers, and poor maintenance – are the primary causes of these accidents. Forklift accidents can be life-altering or deadly, and they can be prevented.
Causes of Forklift Accidents
Employers who are more concerned with getting the job done quickly than getting the job done safely may overlook safety standard requirements. Pushing a machine such as a forklift past its safety limits is bound to result in an accident. These are several types of construction forklift accidents:
- Tipping Over – Carrying an excess load can cause a forklift to tip over, often crushing construction workers in the path of the overloaded material, or crushing the forklift driver if a “Roll Over Protection System” has not been installed.
- Falling Debris – Construction site forklifts should have an “All Falling Object Protection System” installed to protect the operator from falling objects.
- Driver Ejection – The driver seats should be equipped with seat belts, arm rests, and “Grab Handles.”
- Hitting Pedestrians – Often times a worker fails to notice an oncoming forklift if it does not have an automatic signal alarm installed.
- Elevating Workers – A forklift is not made for the purpose of elevating workers, who may fall if an operator losses control.
- Unsafe Driving Conditions – Low visibility, narrow or congested pathways, obstructed intersections are all unsafe conditions to drive in.