Man Fatally Struck by Forklift in South Carolina Lumber Yard Accident

Forklift accidents can happen anywhere. Many are in warehouses, some occur in dockside loading areas, while others take place in trucking terminals. You don’t hear about lumber yard accidents too often, but a recent accident in South Carolina claimed the life of a forklift driver.

John W. Varner, 62, of Edgefield, SC, was run over by a forklift at the Tides International lumber yard, according to the Edgefield County Coroner’s Office.

The accident is still being investigated, and there is no word on whether officials from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) will be looking into it. But if this is anything like other fatal forklift accidents, OSHA will probably be involved at some point.

Varner apparently fell off of a Hyster Forklift and was run over by the vehicle. The coroner said he was immediately rushed to Edgefield County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The accident occurred at approximately 1 p.m. Varner was a supervisor at the lumber yard.

For whatever reason, most people think that supervisors can’t be hurt or killed on the job. But this accident shows that everyone – from the new driver to the most experienced boss – can benefit from solid forklift safety practices. Forklift accidents can happen to anybody in the chain of command. That’s why it’s so important to have your entire workforce properly trained.

Certifyme.net helps your company avoid bad accidents like the one above. We’re proud to be a dependable training source for many of the country’s top companies, and our online format allows anyone to take great training on their busy schedule. Our OSHA compliant courses are great for beginning forklift drivers and also for recertifying older, veteran forklift operators

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