Employees may typically associate struck-by incidents with construction work or operating equipment but these incidents can happen just about anywhere and in any industry.
For example, OSHA is investigating a struck-by incident involving a Sam’s Club employee who was killed when an overhead door broke and fell onto him, according to the Erie Times-News.
Garage door spring snapped
The 20-year-old employee, Benjamin Knight Jr., died days after he was struck by the overhead garage door on Sept. 30. A spring had snapped on the door, causing it to release and fall onto him.
Knight died of complications of blunt force trauma, according to the Erie County coroner.
“Mr. Knight was a valued member of our family at club 6675, and we are mourning his loss. This matter has been reported to the appropriate authorities,” a spokeswoman for Sam’s Club told the Erie Times-News.
OSHA was notified of the incident and compliance officers began investigating the fatality on Oct. 11, but the OSHA area director told the newspaper the investigation would “take some time to complete.”