Lately, it seems as though stories are sinkholes are regularly being covered in the news. Though the recent reports have not occurred in the state of Pennsylvania, earlier this week one opened up in a neighboring state. It swallowed a man who was at work, operating a forklift.

At the time the sinkhole appeared, the man was reportedly working at the loading dock of a warehouse used for storing food products such as soy sauce and cooking oil. Though the man suffered injuries in the incident, he survived and was transported to an area hospital for treatment of the job injuries. 

The outcome of this incident could have been much worse. In the past individuals have disappeared into sinkholes never to be heard from again. In this instance the man could have drowned in the soy sauce and cooking oil. Rescuers who were called to the scene indicated that the forklift the man had been driving likely provided protection from that fate.

Forklifts can certainly be dangerous pieces of machinery to use. Those who operate them or work around them are usually worried about running into something or doing what is necessary to avoid coming into contact with people or objects. Accordingly, training provided surrounding the use of forklifts focuses on safety measures that can be taken to prevent those events from happening. It is probably fair to say that no forklift training programs take into account the possibility that a driver and vehicle might fall into a sinkhole.

Though the man's injuries were characterized as minor, it is still possible that he could miss time at work. During that time he could seek workers' compensation benefits from his employer.

Source: USA Today, "Sinkhole opens under N.J. workman operating a forklift," Douglas Stanglin, May 21, 2013