Involved: Maintenance pipefitter with 14 years-experience, working third shift, 12 to 8 AM. Incident: About 6 AM on December 14 the maintenance pipefitter climbed a 20-foot straight ladder to repair a leaking oil valve and a pipe bridge located on aisle 13. The aisle not well lit, narrow and not used by forklifts but on rare occasions. After the maintenance pipefitter climbed the ladder, he started to tie off. He looked at the valve, and realized he needed a special wrench for the job. He told the helper who was cleaning up the oil spill, to go to the tool crib and get the special wrench. A moment after the helper left, and while the maintenance pipe fitter was on the ladder a forklift struck the latter, knocking the pipefitter to the concrete floor. Injuries: Broken arm, fractured ribs and multiple contusions. Information: The forklift operator claimed he could not stop in time to avoid hitting the latter because of his faulty brakes. A later examination confirmed worn brakes, but no other defect in the braking system. The operator stated he thought he could have stopped in time to avoid hitting the ladder if the brakes had been in good working condition. He said he experienced some brake problems earlier in the shift but did not report the problems because he felt they were not serious enough to constitute a hazardous condition. Although there were no procedures for inspection of the forklift, and no pre-inspection report by the maintenance department, there was no proof of the faulty brakes. The company has never trained their forklift drivers in the past. The company did not have any procedures, or any other safety related items, PPE, JSA's or any written documents. The repair of the leaking oil valve was a nonrecurring task. There were no written job procedures, but the established job procedure was known by the maintenance employees and the supervisor. The supervisor did not discuss or review the potential hazards associated with this job. The maintenance department did not call for any barricades, warning signs, or signals placed around the latter to warn any traffic of any obstruction. Both the maintenance employees were wearing hard hats only, no other PPE