OSHA Cites Shipping Company After Man Suffers Leg Amputation, Crushed Pelvis

OSHA Cites Shipping Company After Man Suffers Leg Amputation, Crushed Pelvis

Compliance officers find ITS Conglobal ignored safety regulations.

  • By Shereen Hashem
  • Mar 16, 2021

A life-threatening accident left a Chicago shipping facility employee with an amputated leg and crushed pelvis. The 30-year-old fell off the a powered heavy-lift vehicle after being allowed to ride unsecured. The employee was then run over by the vehicle leading to his injuries.

OSHA requires specific training for operating industrial vehicles. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2011 to 2017, “614 workers lost their lives in forklift-related incidents and more than 7,000 nonfatal injuries with days away from work occurred every year.”

The shipping facility failed to renew its refresher training every three years to make certain employees know how to safely operate all powered industrial vehicles.

ITS ConGlobal is North America’s largest rail terminal operator. ITSC has more than 120 locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico. OSHA penalized the company proposed penalties totaling $156,038, according to a press release.

“This worker's life-altering injuries could have been prevented if ITS Conglobal had followed its own and federal safety regulations against employees riding improperly on moving powered industrial vehicles,” said OSHA Chicago South Area Director James Martineck in the press release. “Each year, hundreds of employees suffer injuries from powered industrial vehicle hazards and it remains one of OSHA's top 10 cited safety standards. Employers must review and enforce workplace safety procedures.”

To learn more about employee safety and powered industrial trucks, visit OSHA’s webpage on forklifts.

About the Author

Shereen Hashem is the Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety magazine.

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