Date of incident: March 2023
Notice of incident number: 2023194040002
Employer: Scaffolding company

Incident summary
A worker was operating a forklift at a storage yard on a gravel surface when it became stuck in soft ground. Another worker attempted to free the forklift by towing it using his pickup truck and a tow line. The forklift tipped over onto its side, and the worker who was operating it was ejected from the forklift and sustained fatal injuries.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Forklift tipped over while being towed. The worker was operating the forklift on an uneven gravel surface when it became stuck in a section of soft, muddy ground. The other worker attempted to tow the forklift with his own truck, which was contrary to the manufacturer’s towing instructions and the employer’s safe work procedures. The towing process applied force on the forklift that resulted in the forklift being pulled over onto its left side.

Contributing factors

• Failure to wear seat belt while operating forklift. The employer’s safe work procedure for operation of the forklift states that the operator must wear the seat belt when operating the forklift. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation also requires operators to use seat belts whenever a forklift is in motion or engaged in an operation that could cause the forklift to become unstable. The operator of the forklift was not wearing a seat belt when the forklift tipped, and as a result he was ejected from the forklift.
• Inadequate training on forklift procedures. The employer did not provide training to workers for the towing of a forklift as its forklift safe work procedure directed workers to contact a supervisor immediately when anything develops that affects the normal operation of the forklift. The employer did not provide any evidence that workers had been given the safe work procedure to review or received any training or verbal direction regarding the safe work procedure.
• Inadequate supervision. The employer did not ensure safe work practices were being followed at the workplace. The basic safety rule of wearing a seat belt when operating the forklift was not enforced and was not followed consistently. The lack of effective supervision failed to ensure the health and safety of all workers at the yard.
• Inadequate hazard identification and risk assessment. The employer’s incident investigation report identified hazardous conditions that existed where the forklift was being operated at the time of the incident. However, the employer did not make workers aware of the hazards of the ground conditions or effectively control the hazards before the incident.

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