Horseplay Turns Deadly
Forklift runs over and kills worker
December 2008
A 12-year veteran employee was killed in a forklift accident at a machine shop that manufactures and engineers oilfield equipment. Preliminary information gathered at the scene indicates the victim was standing behind a forklift when it backed into him and ran him over.
OSHA is currently investigating the tragic incident however, according to the forklift driver's Niece; "My uncle is so hurt, he cant stop crying. He and Roy were good friends. Actually my uncle's sister-in-law is Roy's daughter. He was sobbing how will he explain the accident to his grandchildren. My uncle said Roy would always horseplay by climbing on the forklift while he was driving it to startle him. This time he was bent down in front of the forklift and my uncle didn't see him, and unfortunately he was killed. Although his entrails were exposed he did not die suddenly, He did live for a few minutes after the accident.
At first I thought he may have had a natural caused death, followed by the accidental rollover, such as a heart attack or stroke that caused him to fall to the ground and not notice the forklift, but that was not the case. My uncle did not see Roy and vice versa."
Playing jokes and having fun with your coworkers may break up the day and make work more interesting, but it can be deadly. This is an extreme case where good friends joking around turned deadly for one of them and left the other with deep sorrow. Each year there are hundreds of injuries in the US from pulling pranks at work.
How about you? Is the laugh really worth it? Think about it.