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Incident · Injury

Swisslog employee sustained serious leg injury when struck by automated trolley at Walmart distribution center in Brundidge, Alabama

On October 18, 2016, a Swisslog Logistics employee was seriously injured when struck by an automated trolley on an Electrified Monorail System (EMS) that Swisslog had installed at Walmart Distribution Center 7019 in Brundidge, Alabama. The employee was performing maintenance when the trolley, operating at full speed with light curtains muted, struck him.

OSHA cited Swisslog and Walmart for willful violations of the Lockout/Tagout standard, proposing $126,749 in penalties. An OSHRC Administrative Law Judge vacated the citations in December 2018, ruling the Secretary failed to establish the energization was unexpected and that employees were engaged in normal production operations not covered by LOTO.

Occurred 2016-10-18 · PillPick at Sao Paulo, Brazil · Swisslog · Sao Paulo, Brazil · Investigated by OSHA

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Incident records on DEPLOY are compiled from public sources (regulatory filings, news reports, and operator disclosures) and reflect what has been reported and tracked to date. They are not legal findings, determinations of fault, or safety ratings, and may be updated as new information is verified. See the sources below for the underlying references.
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Sources (2)

  1. Swisslog Logistics, Inc., and Wal-Mart Stores East, L.P. - OSHRC Decision and Order · https://www.oshrc.gov/wp-content/uploads/17-0777__17-0784_Decision_and_Order_-DATED-_pub_WEB.html
  2. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/safety/withdrawal-of-safety-citation-against-walmart-swisslog-is-upheld

Common questions

What happened in Swisslog employee sustained serious leg injury when struck by automated trolley at Walmart distribution center in Brundidge, Alabama?
On October 18, 2016, a Swisslog Logistics employee was seriously injured when struck by an automated trolley on an Electrified Monorail System (EMS) that Swisslog had installed at Walmart Distribution Center 7019 in Brundidge, Alabama. The employee was performing maintenance when the trolley, operating at full speed with light curtains muted, struck him. OSHA cited Swisslog and Walmart for willful violations of the Lockout/Tagout standard, proposing $126,749 in penalties. An OSHRC Administrative Law Judge vacated the citations in December 2018, ruling the Secretary failed to establish the energization was unexpected and that employees were engaged in normal production operations not covered by LOTO.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on October 18, 2016 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
What robot was involved in Swisslog employee sustained serious leg injury when struck by automated trolley at Walmart distribution center in Brundidge, Alabama?
PillPick by Swisslog is the recorded robot involved in this incident at Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Has anyone responded to Swisslog employee sustained serious leg injury when struck by automated trolley at Walmart distribution center in Brundidge, Alabama?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of Swisslog employee sustained serious leg injury when struck by automated trolley at Walmart distribution center in Brundidge, Alabama?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-09

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-09

Sources by quality tier

2
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Swisslog employee sustained serious leg injury when struck by automated trolley at Walmart distribution center in Brundidge, Alabama.

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Canonical ID 645224b2-7138-4508-92ce-406c656211d1