Last year, a man died after he got struck by a forklift at the Armstrong Flooring in Jackson. Forklift accidents are a common cause of workplace injuries and deaths across America. Forklifts are in many different types of workplaces, so it is important that all workers who encounter forklifts in their workplaces know about the dangers of forklift accidents so that they might be able to avoid them.
Forklifts are involved in approximately one percent of factory and warehouse accidents, yet the injuries caused by those accidents are often serious and sometimes even fatal. About eighty-five people die in forklift accidents each year. Nearly thirty-five thousand people are seriously injured by forklifts every year, and another sixty-two thousand receive non-serious injuries in forklift accidents.
The most common type of workplace accident involving a forklift occurs when the forklift tips over. It is not surprising that this is how many forklift accidents happen, because of the nature of forklifts and the functions that they perform. Forklifts are very heavy, weighing in at approximately three times the weight of an average car. They do not have brakes in the rear, only in the front, and this, combined with their unevenly distributed weight (more in the rear, less in the front where the forks are) makes them handle much differently than the passenger vehicles that people drive every day. Sometimes, it’s hard for a forklift driver to see around the large or awkwardly shaped load on the front of a forklift, and this increases the risk of a collision with a person or an object. When a forklift is lifting a heavy load to a high place, there is the danger that the load will fall or the forklift will tip.
Fortunately, there is room for improvement as far as forklift accidents are concerned. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that the number of forklift accidents could be reduced by over half if the people who operate forklifts and work in places where forklifts are in use received more comprehensive training about how to run them and work near them safely. It is possible to prevent injuries by installing barriers around forklift work areas to keep pedestrians safe. Shields and barriers that can be placed on doors, corners, shelves, and other areas to prevent property damage from forklift impacts.
Barrett Law PLLC: Helping Workers Injured in Mississippi Workplace Accidents
If you work in a facility where there are forklifts, you are at risk for a forklift injury whether or not you operate or work with the forklifts yourself. If you got hurt in a forklift accident or someone that you love was killed in a forklift accident, it is crucial that you seek assistance from a Mississippi Workplace Accident Attorney. Your attorney knows the details of worker’s compensation law, and they can help you navigate the claims process. If you have questions about worker’s compensation or workplace accidents, call the Mississippi Workplace Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule a consultation.
