A 22-year-old has died after a forklift pinned him at work, and now his employer is accused of a “serious” violation in North Carolina. 

According to The News Observer, the NC Department of Labor has cited the distribution company, months after officials said worker Dereck Rafael Carrero got “caught between a forklift and a rack support”.

He suffered a life-threatening injury and died two days after the December 2021 incident. Now, state officials say they’ve completed an inspection of the facility where the man worked in Dunn, south of Raleigh.

Carrero’s employer, ADUSA Distribution, says safety is one of its top priorities. “We are aware of an N.C. Department of Labor investigation at our Dunn, NC facility following a tragic incident last year where we lost a member of our ADUSA Distribution team,” a statement says. “We have received the citation report from the NC Department of Labor and we fully co-operated with their investigation. We look forward to reviewing the report and implementing any additional safety protocols that may be needed on top of our already stringent safety procedures to keep team members safe at all times.” 

An investigation found forklifts went forwards and backwards at the distribution centre as their drivers tried to “replenish product”.

“Selectors are known to go behind the forklifts during this operation, so they can continue filling their pick orders,” state officials wrote in the citation document. The document also states: “The driver was not required to look in the direction of - and keep a clear view of - the path of travel.”