Oregon Lumber Mill Worker Killed by Unseen Forklift Load

In Oregon, a 63‑year-old lumber mill employee was fatally struck by the load of a forklift while standing in a shaded lumber shed. The forklift operator, rounding a corner into the shed, did not see the worker, whose movements were hidden in the driver’s blind spot. The subsequent investigation pointed to several contributing factors: the workstation was located too close to forklift traffic paths, inadequate separation between pedestrians and forklifts, limited visibility in shaded areas, and unclear or inconsistently enforced safety practices — including a verbal high-visibility vest policy that was not documented […]