Pallet Injures Worker at Home Depot

A worker was seriously injured on May 12 after a large pallet fell on him at Home Depot’s distribution center in South Windsor, Connecticut, according to police and fire officials. First responders were sent to 360 Ellington Road shortly after 3:45 p.m., South Windsor Fire Chief Kevin Cooney told local media. Police said the worker, identified in local reporting as a 23-year-old man, suffered a serious head injury. Local television reports said he was breathing but not responsive while being taken to a hospital. ### Where did the incident happen, and what do officials say occurred? The South Windsor facility is a Home Depot regional distribution center at 360 Ellington Road, according to town economic-development materials. The site covers about 420,000 square feet on 46 acres and serves the company’s supply-chain network, according to those records. (fox61.com) South Windsor officials said the injury happened inside that warehouse on Tuesday afternoon, May 12. FOX61 reported that the worker was pinned under a large pallet, while WFSB reported that a man was crushed by a pallet at the distribution center. Both outlets cited police. (storymaps.arcgis.com) ### How badly was the worker hurt? Police said the worker suffered a serious head injury. WFSB reported, citing police, that he was breathing but not responsive as he was transported to the hospital. Authorities had not publicly released additional details on his medical status in the reports reviewed. (fox61.com) A Stamford Advocate and Journal Inquirer report said the person was seriously hurt by a falling pallet, and police described the event as under investigation. Another local report summarized police as saying the incident appeared to be accidental. ### Who responded at the scene? (fox61.com) South Windsor Fire Chief Kevin Cooney said first responders reached the warehouse just after 3:45 p.m. FOX61 reported that three police officers provided medical care at the scene before the worker was taken away by ambulance. (stamfordadvocate.com) Local media accounts did not identify the worker by name, and no public statement reviewed from Home Depot gave further details about the employee’s condition. The company’s corporate newsroom and press-release pages did not show a public release about the South Windsor incident in the material reviewed. ### What role does OSHA play after a workplace injury like this? (fox61.com) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration responded to investigate the South Windsor incident, according to police accounts cited by FOX61 and the Stamford Advocate. OSHA has not publicly detailed any findings in the materials reviewed. (corporate.homedepot.com) OSHA’s public enforcement databases track workplace inspections and fatality or catastrophe cases, though posted records can lag and may not immediately show a newly opened case. The agency says its fatality inspection data is updated daily and covers inspections opened within the prior six months. ### What is still not public? Police had not publicly released the worker’s name, the exact mechanics of how the pallet fell, or whether any equipment was involved in the incident in the reports reviewed on May 14. (fox61.com) Authorities also had not publicly described whether any citations, fines or formal enforcement action were under consideration. (osha.gov) Home Depot’s next public disclosures, if any, would most likely come through a company statement, a police update, or an OSHA inspection record. As of May 14, local reporting showed OSHA at the site, but no public findings had been released. (fox61.com)