A worker at a Stop & Shop Distribution Center Freetown, Mass. died late night Tuesday, Jan. 24.
Alphonse Ferent, 51, of Stoughton, Mass. fell between a truck and a loading dock as a tractor trailer pulled away. A forklift unloading merchandise from the trailer then fell on top of Ferent, killing him, according to news reports.
First responders provided first aid. However, Ferent was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
OSHA officials confirmed to news outlets that it is investigating the incident. No other information has been reported at this time.
Ferent is survived by his wife, daughter and two grandchildren as well as other family members.
The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH), an organization that advocates for worker safety in the state, called Ferent’s death “tragic and needless,” in a statement to The Boston Globe.
MassCOSH also stated that this most recent fatal accident is the 21st forklift death to occur in the New England region since 2007.
The Freetown, Mass. Stop & Shop Distribution Center recently made headlines Jan. 2 when a refrigeration unit on a trailer caught fire at the loading dock, causing smoke to enter the warehouse. No injuries were reported at that incident.
This article was first published on EHS Today, a companion site of Material Handling & Logistics and part of Penton's Manufacturing & Supply Chain group.
