The injured employee was removing a piece of 4" x 4" lumber from steel slab cargo in the yard area while another employee was operating a heavy-duty powered industrial truck (PIT) to lift a steel slab with magnets using a reach stacker. The lift was reversing with the cargo hoisted when the rear tire of the PIT hit a pothole and caused the slab to swing back and forth. As a result, the steel slab struck the injured employee in his abdominal area. The employee suffered a pelvic fracture, fractures to the L4 and L5 vertebrae, and a possible bladder contusion.