Indiana RV Manufacturer Fined $10K after Worker’s Forklift Death

State regulators have fined a northern Indiana recreational vehicle manufacturer $10,000 for safety violations discovered following a worker’s April death.

Fifty-four-year-old Ricky Schlabach died of blunt force injuries April 6 after he was struck by a forklift at the Winnebago factory in Middlebury. The Howe, Indiana, man was pronounced dead at the plant about 30 miles east of South Bend.

Investigators with the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Winnebago for two serious safety violations found following his death.

Winnebago was fined $5,000 for operating the forklift at a speed that prevented the operator from stopping it in a safe manner.

IOSHA also fined the company $5,000 for installing plexiglass windshields on the front and back of the forklift without the approval of the manufacturer.