Crushing of Forklift Operator

Mechanical and Safety Engineering (MASE) Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Forklift

What happened: A forklift operator became crushed between the mast and parts of the forklift structure when he reached through the mast to clear an obstruction and accidentally lowered the lift onto himself

Injuries: Death due to crushing injuries of head

Recommendations: Simple guarding of the operator compartment would have prevented the operator from being able to place himself in the path of the descending lift.

OSHA/Standard violations?: no

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Hand Held Mixer Accident

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Hand Held Mixer

What happened: A woman's finger became caught in a hand held electric blender while she was holding the edge of the bowl.

Injuries: Tendon damage to finger

Recommendations: Hand held mixers are relatively low power, but can still maim and injure fingers.  Since hand held mixers have an unguarded nip point, distance from the hazard is essential.  Deep, heavy bowls that do not require hand stabilization will help deter users from getting near the hazard.  Counter top stand mixers do not require stabilization, and use deep bowls to increase the distance to the hazard. 

OSHA/Standard violations?: no

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Mountain Bike Tire Failure

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: MTB Mountain Bike Tire

What happened: Person was mountain biking on a trail, crossed part of the path where a previous small bridge had been removed.  A couple of miles later, the bike slid out to the right from underneath the rider in a hard left curve, at a relatively low speed.  Inspection after the accident showed a nail in one of the tires, presumably from the bridge site.  The loss of air pressure caused the accident.

Injuries: Lacerations, bruises

Recommendations:  Even if tires are at the proper pressure at the beginning of the ride, there is no guarantee that this will be maintained.  Punctures during a ride may result in a slow, unnoticeable loss of pressure.  There are inner tubes for bikes that will automatically seal any puncture.  There are also tubeless wheels that use thicker tires, which are reportedly more puncture resistant.

OSHA/Standard violations?: no

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Werner Ladder Accident

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Aluminum Ladder

What happened: At a rock climbing gym, a person was using an aluminum stepladder to change routes on the wall.  The worker changed some holds, and proceeded to work on holds that were located to his right, approximately two to three feet away.  He had to lean far to the right to access these holds.  At some point his center of gravity passed outside of the stability triangle of the ladder, and the ladder leaned to the left due to this as well as the padded floor surface, causing him to begin to fall.  As he fell, his weight, motion, and reaction caused the ladder to tip to the left.  He fell on top of the ladder, causing some deformation.

Injuries: none due to padded floor

Recommendations: Try to stay as close to the ladder's center as possible, preferably within the ladder rails per manufacturer recommendations.  A firm surface will also help prevent the ladder from tipping. 

OSHA/Standard violations?: no

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Rivet Pulls Through Fiberglass Ladder Rail

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Fiberglass ladder

What happened: Worker injured when fiberglass stepladder spreader bar rivet pulled through the fiberglass.

Injuries: unknown

Recommendations: Use a material that does not weaken as significantly over time, such as aluminum, warn users of decreased strength of fiberglass after time and exposure to elements, increase stability of stepladder to prevent racking and excessive side forces

OSHA/Standard violations?: unknown

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Terex Crane Overturns

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Terex Crane

What happened: Worker injured when crane tipped over

Injuries: unknown

Recommendations: Design crane to safely handle any load that it can pick up

OSHA/Standard violations?: unknown

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on unsafe products

Toyota Forklit Accident

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Toyota Forklift

What happened:  Worker crushed between mast of forklift and forklift structure when riding the forklift down

Injuries: Burns to broken bones from falling to death

Recommendations:  Use a cage designed to transport personnel, with a guard that prevents access to pinch and shear points of the forklift

OSHA/Standard violations?: Multiple - no fall protection, no guarding of mast, platform not secured

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