A man died after being injured late Saturday night in an industrial accident in Texas City.
Learn More >>Texas Forklift Injuries and Powered Industrial Truck Accidents
Powered Industrial Trucks also known as forklifts are responsible for tens of thousands of workplace accidents each year in the United States. Failure to pay attention to the weight and symmetry of the forklift load, driving the forklift at unsafe speeds, dangerous operating surfaces, tire pressure and bad operator driving behavior all contribute to a dangerous jobsite.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has investigated forklift-related deaths and their research has shown that many workers and employers are not following OSHA procedures and/or equipment manufacturer guidelines. Fatal accidents have become far too common in Longshore and marine terminals. We have handled hundreds of cases where a longshoreman was injured by a forklift on or near a vessel.
Under Texas law, employers must provide Texas workers with safe working conditions. This includes preventing the improper or reckless use of forklifts in the workplace. It is illegal for anyone under 18 to operate a forklift. It is illegal for anyone at any age to operate a forklift without proper training and certification. Additionally, manufacturers who manufacture defective forklifts or unsafe powered industrial trucks can also be held accountable for your Texas workplace forklift accident.
How can Employers Reduce Forklift Accidents in Texas?
- Worker training - make sure workers do not operate a forklift unless they have been trained and licensed
- Safety programs - develop written safety protocols regarding worker training, operator licensing, and safe forklift practices
- Improved traffic management - separate forklift traffic and other workers, limiting some aisles to forklift traffic only.
- Better forklift inspection and maintenance - establish vehicle inspection and maintenance program
If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving the use of a forklift or powered industrial truck on a Texas construction site, whether you were operating the forklift or someone else was negligently operating a forklift, please contact Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. so that one of our Texas forklift injury attorneys in Houston, Texas may help you understand your legal rights. We accept cases across the state of Texas.
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