Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1576945.015 - 75301 - Adusa Distribution Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

At 1:30 p.m. on February 4th, 2022, Employee # 1 and a coworker began operating electric Raymond center rider pallet jacks (information for the pallet jack being operated by Employee # 1: Model No. 8500/Serial No. 850-08-69847/Internal Identification No. 16553) to unload a tractor trailer (Model No. VS2RA/VIN No. 1UYVS25357M127703) at Dock Door 533 in the Grocery 1 building. Employee # 1 and his coworker unloaded the tractor trailer by backing in to it, loading two pallets onto the pallet jack, and exiting forward while glancing backward briefly to ensure that there was clearance between the tractor trailer door and the top of the pallets. At approximately 1:37 PM, after Employee # 1 and a coworker had backed into the trailer, Employee # 1 began exiting the tractor trailer by going forward on the pallet jack. The top part of one of the pallets came in contact with the tractor trailer door, which caused the door to lower slightly. An item or items from one of the pallets then got caught in the tractor trailer door's hinges on the right side, which caused the door to remain partially closed as the spring-loading mechanism was unable to function and raise the door back into a fully open position. Employee # 1 was then struck by the tractor trailer door while exiting the tractor trailer on the pallet jack. Employee # 1 then fell to the right of the pallet jack, still partially inside of the tractor trailer, and multiple coworkers responded upon hearing the incident occur. Emergency services were called to the scene. Employee # 1 sustained blunt force head trauma as a result of being struck by the tractor trailer door and died at the scene.

Keywords: Blunt force trauma, Head, Pallet Jack, Struck By, Tractor Trailer