Worker struck by forklift....

Out of all of the hazards that our industry mitigates on a daily basis, moveable equipment is what scares us the most when entering an aluminium plant. Why? Because it has the unique characteristic to be in located in one area and in another area a moment later. We tour lots and lots of aluminium plants around the globe. On these tours we have several rules (in addition to the plant rules) that we follow. First, never walk behind moving equipment. Second, always be in very close proximity of the guide/host. Lastly, be aware of our surroundings while touring the plant. Here is a recent story that emphasizes the need of always being aware of your surroundings:

A 70-year-old man was taken to hospital one night during the week of July 24, 2016 night after being struck by a forklift in the USA.

EMS and officers responded to a machine company on report of an industrial accident. Local police officer said a man suffered road rash and injured his hip.

No other information was immediately available.

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog prays that the injured worker recovers fully from his injuries. This is one of the few incidents involving a forklift truck that involved an injury. Sadly, most involve fatalities. It is imperative that workers are aware of forklifts in the workplace. The Aluminium Times has had a few articles about this hazard.

Normally, we do not mention the age of the worker. Why? Because it simply does not matter. As we close our eyes the faces of the injured and deceased workers flash through our mind. The age of the men and women matter little. But, we chose to include the age of this worker because we have seen more and more workers who are older in our industry. The challenges of keeping all workers safe is numerous. But the challenges of keeping older workers safe is can be more extensive. We’ll write about this topic later.

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