Duty of Care

On September 9, 2026, Ernest Appau, 56, a warehouse employee at Global Industrial on Mill Center Parkway NE in Buford, Georgia, died after becoming trapped between a loading ramp and a truck, according to a Gwinnett County police report cited by FOX 5 Atlanta.

A coworker noticed Appau pinned beneath the ramp and worked with other employees to lift it off him. Responding paramedics pronounced him dead. Appau had worked for the equipment supply company for about 23 years.

The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office took over the investigation. As of late September reporting, authorities had not released official findings explaining how the loading ramp failed or became pinned on top of him. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that the family had not received a clear explanation from the company.

For warehouse and distribution crews, loading docks combine struck-by and caught-between exposure. Keep people out of the pinch between ramps, trucks, and dock edges; chock trailers; seat dock plates; and separate pedestrians from PIT travel and elevating forks.

• FOX 5 Atlanta