The Wall Street Journal reports that some of the largest manufacturers in the United States are seeking alternatives to using forklifts, which have been linked to numerous worker injuries and deaths. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, while forklifts have played an important role in factories and warehouses for more than a century, companies now say they want to go “forklift-free” to improve safety and productivity. Federal statistics show that each year, around 7,500 workers are injured in forklift-related collisions, tip-overs and other mishaps and nearly 100 are killed.
Several industry leaders from pipe manufacturer-based Ipex to automaker Mercedes-Benz are going this route, the Journal reports. For example, Mercedes-Benz has been replacing some forklifts with autonomous vehicles since 2018, and Tesla is making a similar change using push carts and trailer-hauling “tuggers” inside its factories.
An Attempt to Reduce Forklift Injuries and Accidents
Forklift accidents are sadly common in construction sites and factories across the United States. Documents from state and federal regulators examined by the Journal list fatal incidents including three that occurred in 2023 over just 21 days. One worker was killed when he was struck by a forklift driver whose view was blocked by the totes the vehicle carries. Another forklift operator plunged to his death when his forklift fell from the truck he was loading. And a third worker died when he was crushed by the forklift’s lifting mechanism.
Injuries from forklift accidents can be catastrophic. One former warehouse worker sued forklift manufacturer Raymond after she fell from one of the company’s stand-up models when it hit a crack in the floor. The vehicle’s steer wheel crushed the worker’s left leg, which had to be amputated below the knee. The worker claimed the forklift was defective because it did not have a door that would have kept her from being ejected.
The future is autonomous vehicles driven by robotics, manufacturers and experts say. Whirlpool’s washing-machine factory in Ohio has eliminated forklifts from its production area and instead uses robotic tuggers to deliver parts to assembly-line workers. Company officials say these tuggers have reduced injuries in factories.
Common Types of Forklift Accidents and Injuries
Here are some of the most common types of forklift accidents in construction sites and manufacturing facilities:
- Tip-overs: Forklifts tipping over are one of the leading causes of fatal injuries. This can happen due to overloading, uneven surfaces or improper turning.
- Pedestrian accidents: Workers on foot being struck by forklifts is a common incident, often due to poor visibility or inadequate separation between forklift operations and pedestrian areas.
- Falls from forklifts: Workers falling while riding on or standing on forklifts can result in serious injuries.
- Load drops: Improperly secured or overloaded materials falling off the forklift can injure operators and bystanders.
- Mechanical failures: Malfunctioning forklifts can lead to accidents, emphasizing the need for regular maintenance.
- Entrapments and crush Injuries: Operators or workers getting pinned between the forklift and a stationary object is another common hazard.
Some of the most common causes of forklift accidents include:
- Lack of proper training for operators.
- Inadequate maintenance of forklifts.
- Unsafe workplace environments such as cluttered or uneven floors.
- Overloading forklifts beyond their rated capacity.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a forklift accident or any type of construction accident or workplace accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. For over 53 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses.
Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker (an undocumented immigrant) who was injured on the job — one of the highest construction case settlements in New York that year. Our law firm also recovered $3,000,000 for a man who fell and suffered two broken legs when he walked into an open elevator shaft. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: https://www.wsj.com/business/forklift-safety-sales-drop-automation-f5cbaa9e