August 6, 2023
A vendor was delivering mowers to a rental store for resale. The driver of the delivery truck went inside to the rental counter to find out where they wanted him to park his truck to unload the delivery. They told him where to park and he moved his truck next to the loading dock. The employees got the forklift with the proper reach and tines, and moved it to the loading dock.
The employee loaded the cargo on the tines and then lifted the tines, causing the load to puncture the roof of the trailer. A metal-on-metal screech could be heard across the rental yard as the metal of the equipment punctured the roof of the enclosed trailer and then moved through the roof. A claim was made with the rental store’s insurance company. The vendor that was delivering the merchandise got an estimate for repairs. Replacement of the entire aluminum panel was required.
The employee of the rental store that was operating the forklift was at fault for failure to maintain proper lookout and the rental store’s insurance company paid nearly $10,000 for repairs. Remind your employees to size up the load every time they are moving equipment around the rental yard and loading and unloading equipment. With just a little more time spent checking the clearance of the truck’s trailer versus the merchandise, this situation could have been avoided.
This item, provided by ARA Insurance, Overland Park, Kan., contains safety tips and is intended to help readers better understand and manage risk. For more safety and risk management information, customers of ARA Insurance can log on to ReSource. Access is free, so if you haven’t signed up yet, contact your agent or call 800-821-6580.
