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Ten Reasons to Use Restraints

1. THE HAZARD: A city street undermined by a leaking storm sewer.

The operator was traveling across the street, when it suddenly collapsed. A crater, 30 feet in diameter and eight feet deep, swallowed truck and driver. The driver remained within the confines of the driver's overhead guard. He climbed from the hole after the accident without assistance. He was treated at a hospital for minor injuries from falling concrete, and released.

2. THE HAZARD: The yard of a large wholesale retail building supply center.

The operator, transporting a large bundle of lumber slightly off center in an elevated position, turned to the right and the truck fell on its left side. The operator remained within the confines of the driver's overhead guard and was not injured.

3. THE HAZARD: Lift truck test facility.

Truck was undergoing a braking test, which involves backing at a high rate speed. Another vehicle invaded the test site and collided with the test truck. No upset occurred. Operator, who was not wearing seat belt, remained within the confines of the wing and overhead guard. Because of his shoulder hitting against the wing, he was not injured.

4. THE HAZARD: A loading dock.

Lift truck was entering semitrailer as it pulled from the dock. As the semitrailer pulled away, the automatic dock leveler lowered. The lift truck was momentarily suspended on forks and the counterweight, and then fell straight down. The lift remained upright. The operator remained in the seat and was not injured.

5. THE HAZARD: Paved surface adjacent to a stack of baled waste paper.

Operator attempted to lift three wet bales of waste paper and the truck started to tip forward. He then lifted the top two bales from the stack. As he backed away from the stack, with the bottom bale approximately 12-14 feet in the air, a mechanical failure occurred and the lift truck tipped onto the right side. The operator, who was not wearing the seat belt, remained in the seat and was not injured.

6. THE HAZARD: A seven-foot-wide macadam surfaced roadway about 75 yards long, with about 12 percent grade, cut into the face of a steep hill. On the inner, or right side, is a shallow drainage ditch. The roadway is dry except for an ice-covered area within a few feet of the top.

Operator was traveling in low gear with forks forward up the grade when he encountered ice-covered pavement near top of the grade. The front, or drive wheels, lost traction and the lift truck moved backward down the slope. With brakes applied and the drive wheels skidding, the lift truck moved at a high rate of speed in a straight line until reaching a curve in the roadway.

The steer wheels ran into the ditch, the truck rotated in a counterclockwise direction and then flipped over onto its left side. The operator was wearing his seat belt and was not injured.

7. THE HAZARD: Paved surface inside warehouse with roof support posts in work area.

After depositing load in high stack area, operator backed and turned while lowering forks, then pulled forward and turned in opposite direction. Operator did not see post, and as she pulled forward in turn, fork hooked post and caused truck to tip and mast to slide down post.

Tipping was slow. Truck came to rest in almost horizontal position. Operator reached up as truck tipped, grasped elevated wing with both hands, and stayed in seat. Operator crawled out rear of truck.

This operator reported she was protected from injury by wings when a load of pallets fell on the truck. She was not wearing a seat belt.

8. THE HAZARD: An outdoor ramp.

Lift truck was descending ramp, counterweight rearward, and slipped on frost-covered surface. Operator steered toward right and ran off side of ramp. Truck upset on right side. Because of contact with material stored in the area, truck did not fall to horizontal position. Operator was wearing seat belt and was not injured.

9. THE HAZARD: A loading dock operator had washed truck with power washer and was in the process of relocating the truck to a position under an overhead heater to hasten drying process.

While backing truck across dock, operator claims he attempted to apply brakes, but they were ineffective. Truck continued into large overhead door, which was torn from hinges, and truck fell approximately 4 1/2 feet from dock onto its right side onto a concrete surface. Operator, who was not wearing a seat belt, was not injured.

10. THE HAZARD: Inside a warehouse.

Operator attempted turn with mast fully extended. Lift truck upset and came to rest on left side. Operator, who was wearing a seat belt, received a bruised ankle.

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