In May, we discussed a fatal forklift accident at a Murrieta construction site. Authorities say that another fatal forklift accident has occurred in California. The most recent tragedy was reported at a small brewery in Escondido. Officials say that a brewer was operating a forklift when the machine rolled over.
Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the accident. The injured brewer was taken to the hospital after the wreck. But, officials say that doctors pronounced him dead a short time after his arrival. He had suffered serious chest injuries in the workplace accident.
Very few details are known about the recent fatal workplace accident. The company says that it is launching an internal investigation—Cal-OSHA officials are also looking into the fatal accident, according to NBC San Diego.
California workplace safety officials say that the microbrewery has not had any safety complaints (at least in the past five years, according to the media account). The business shut down after the tragedy and expressed condolences over the fatal accident.
Federal workplace safety statistics say that rollover accidents involving forklifts are a common cause of injury. While we have reported stories of two fatal forklift accidents in California this summer, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that roughly 100 workers are killed in forklift accidents each year across the country. But many more forklift accidents involve non-life-threatening injuries, which range from relatively minor harms to serious, but non-fatal injuries.
Roll-over accidents involving forklifts account for roughly 42 percent of the forklift accidents leading to some level of worker injury.
Source: NBC San Diego, “Man Killed in Forklift Accident at Stone Brewing Co.,” Monica Garske and Sherene Tagharobi, Aug. 27, 2013
