A brief guide to Safety in the Warehouse

Many businesses have storage and warehouse facilities as an integral and important part of their operation.  These may be very busy places at all times (such as in a logistics operation) or they may be pretty quiet for many hours a day, but have periods of intense activity.  Warehouses are dangerous places and people do get hurt in them in several ways.  Many of the injuries suffered can be avoided by taking some simple steps; all derived from simple risk assessments. In this blog, I have asked two basic questions: "What types of accidents are associated with warehouse operations?" and "What can be done to avoid these accidents?" This blog does not seek to provide in depth answers, but to get the reader thinking. Contact me through the website for further information or assistance.

What types of accidents are associated with warehouse operations?

That depends on the operations carried out in the warehouse.  The main types of accidents in warehouses generally include:

• Slips, trips and falls (on the same level)
• Manual handling
• Falls from height
• Accidents involving vehicles moving in and around the warehouse
• Being struck by moving or falling objects

However, other types of accident will occur in warehouses depends on the type of operations being carried out, such as:

• Mechanical accidents involving the use of conveyor systems
• Exposure to chemicals (from poorly stored items)
• etc

What can be done to avoid these accidents?

Slips, trips and falls

• Ensuring good standards of housekeeping – keep walkways clean. Clear and unobstructed
• Ensure that spillages are cleaned up immediately that they occur or when they are noticed
• Ensure that banding tapes, packaging materials and polythene, etc are not allowed to collect on the floors
• Ensure that leaky roofs are repaired
• Ensure that all staff are provided with (and wear) appropriate safety footwear
• Ensure that the floors are maintained in good condition and that defects are repaired

Manual Handling

• Arrange work such that the needs for manual handling are reduced (such as by the use of fork lift trucks, (powered)-pallet trucks, dock lifts, etc)
• Ensure that the risks associated with all manual handling operations are assessed and minimised, giving consideration to:
• the task
• the load
• the working environment
• individual capability, and
• other factors
• Ensure that there are always a sufficient number of employees to deal safely with the loads that need to be handled
• Arrange suitable training in manual handling for all warehouse staff (including temporary and agency workers)

Work at Height

• Avoid the need to work at height were possible
• Avoid climbing on the top of loads where possible
• Provide suitable, practical protection to areas from which people may fall (such as loading bays, etc)
• Provide suitable means of access  for any elevated work area, such as racking locations, etc
• Arrange for all access equipment to be checked regularly by a competent person
• Instruct workers not to use inappropriate or defective access equipment (avoid the use of the forks on a fork lift truck or the use of a pallet on the truck, etc)
• Provide safe working platforms for accessing the back of vehicles (such as tankers or flat bed trucks) if accessed routinely

Vehicles

• Manage the vehicles accessing the site – where possible, provide delivery drivers with relevant health and safety information about your site (times for deliveries, one-way system information, etc) before they arrive
• Display suitable warning signs and notices
• Consider have safety information available in different languages if regularly dealing with drivers from different countries
• Provide clearly designated vehicle and pedestrian routes (where possible)
• Ensure that areas are adequately illuminated
• Provide warehouse staff with high visibility clothing
• Control the reversing of vehicles (consider the use of CCTV systems on your own vehicles)
• Provide workers with suitable and sufficient vehicle movement awareness training, banksman training, etc
• Implement suitable controls for vehicles on site – such as warning signs, site speed limits, mirrors on “blind” corners and bends, etc
• Ensure that all loads are safe before attempting to unload a vehicle
• Ensure that all loads are secure before allowing a vehicle to leave site
• Implement procedure to prevent vehicles from driving off prematurely (such as a key collection system or chocked wheel system).
• Ensure that the use of fork lift trucks is restricted to trained and authorised users
• Restrict access to the warehouse to authorised persons and display suitable notices to this effect

Falling Objects

• Ensure that all loads stored at height (such as on racking) are secure
• Avoid working under other people
• Assess the safety of loads before attempting to unload a vehicle
• Ensure that all racking systems are adequate for the loads that will be stored on them
• Display the safe loading limit of all racking systems
• Carryout regular inspections of the racking and of the goods stored on the racking
• Check the condition of wooden pallets and do not reused damaged pallets
• Arrange for loose items to be secured (such as by shrink wrapping) before storage

Mechanical Accidents

• Ensure that all plant and equipment provided for use in the warehouse (such as shrink wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, etc) is suitable for the task and is in good condition
• Arrange for all equipment to be checked and inspected regularly by a competent person to ensure that it remains in good condition, to ensure that all guards are in place and that all emergency stops and other safety features and controls work
• Restrict the use of plant and equipment to authorised persons only

Exposure to chemicals

• Ensure that all chemical packaging is in good condition
• Ensure that appropriate PPE is provided
• Ensure that suitable washing facilities and emergency arrangements are in place for washing and for emergency eye wash
• Ensure that safety data sheet are available for all substances used and/or stored on site
• Ensure that all chemical packaging display suitable warning symbols

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You can be prosecuted for breaking H&S Law, even if no one is harmed

When things have gone wrong, people sometimes respond by saying things like "I don't know what the fuss is about, nobody got harmed". Good Health and Safety practise is about protecting people from harm and it means that companies need to act to protect employees from harm, as the case below demonstrates.

Aylesbury Magistrates' Court sentenced a microbrewery in October 2012 for failing to take sufficient action to prevent unsafe work at height and failing to improve manual handling at its Marsh Gibbon production plant.  The brewery was warned back in May 2010 that it needed to improve after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served an Improvement Notice requiring action to protect workers transferring materials from racking to processing machinery.  The HSE inspector raised concerns about manual handling operations, principally the filling of hoppers with malt and barley, which involved employees lifting heavy sacks weighing up to 25kg in awkward circumstances. The notice required the company to carry out a thorough assessment of the (manual) handling risks and to take appropriate action.
 
The court heard that the HSE revisited the brewery in November 2010 and again in February 2011, but on both occasions little had changed. Concerns were also expressed about a mezzanine floor that was accessible via inadequate steps and a second Improvement Notice was served in March 2011.

The brewery was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,623 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The HSE Inspector (Stephen Manley) said:
 
"The response of Oxfordshire Ales to the original Improvement Notice was disappointing to say the least. The improvements were necessary in order to protect workers from injury and prevent falls, yet the company took far too long to take appropriate action.  Thankfully no employees were hurt, but there were clear risks that could easily have been remedied a lot sooner."

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Manual Handling - Reducing the load

Summary

Manual handling relates to the movements of loads by human effort, as opposed to the use of mechanical handling equipment such as lift trucks, etc. It is estimated that over a third of all reported workplace accidents arise from manual handling activities. The risks include musculoskeletal injuries, such as back strain, injuries caused by the load falling onto or trapping part of the handler, or injuries caused by the handler falling. The exact proportion varies across different industry sectors and is highest in nursing care, where is accounts for about 50% of all reported accidents.

Employers’ Duties

Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) a clear hierarchy is established: avoid, assess and reduce. The employer has a duty to avoid the risk of injury to employees arising from manual handling operations, where this is reasonably practicable. Where this is not reasonably practicable, the employer must assess the risks arising from the manual handling operation and reduce this risk down to as low a level as is reasonably practicable. Consideration must also be given to the information, instruction and training given to employees and to the provision of appropriate personal protective equipment.

Assuming that it is not reasonably practicable to avoid manual handling and that a suitable and sufficient assessment has been made of the risk, it is necessary to reduce the risks from manual handling down to as low a level as is reasonably practicable.

Reducing the risk

Avoiding (the need for) manual handling

Consideration should be given to automation or mechanisation of the handling operation. This may involve the use of: lift trucks; cranes; hoists; conveyor systems; powered pallet trucks; pneumatic transfer systems; pumped pipe work systems; gravity feed systems (such as debris chutes) and goods lifts, etc. The effectiveness of automation is greater if it is incorporated into the original design for the process. Potential solutions include:

Caveat: although avoiding manual handling is important, it is of little benefit if the resultant risks (such as from fork lift truck operation) are greater than the original risks from manual handling.

Mechanical assistance

With the use of appropriate mechanical assistance, some manual handling is retained, but that the bodily forces are applied more efficiently, hence reducing the risk of injury. Examples include (but are not limited to):

· simple handling aids, such as grab hooks or suction pads (to reduce the problem of handling a load that is difficult to grasp);

· a simple lever can decrease the amount of bodily force needed (reducing the risk of injury);

· specialist fabric or paper roll lifters (to reduce the amount of handling involved in routine operations such as roll changing in a production environment);

· a hoist can be used to support the weight of a load, leaving the handler free to control its position

· a trolley, pallet truck, sack truck, cylinder trolley, wheel barrow or roller conveyor (to reduce the effort required to move a load horizontally);

· specialist drum hoists, trolleys and dollies (for the handling of barrels, etc);

· pneumatic and rollered tables (to reduce the amount of bodily force needed in the fine positioning of items for machining, etc);

· star-wheeled sack trucks (for use on stairs);.

· specialist devices, such as Arjo lifts (in the health care industry)

· Etc.

 

Changing the task and/or premises layout

Improvements in the flow and storage of products and materials as well as the design of the premises can reduce the risks to employees and may also lead to improvements in efficiency and productivity. With certain heavy loads, the risks associated with the task can be reduced by splitting the load up into smaller, lighter loads (e.g. boxed components may be packed in 10 Kg load rather than 20 Kg loads, etc.). Where heavy items must be moved in and out of storage, the optimum position for storage of such loads is around waist height. Storage much above or below this height should be reserved for loads that are lighter, more easily handled, or are handled in frequently. Designing the working area such that the distances that materials need to be carried are reduced will improve productivity as well as reducing the risks of injury.Similarly, reducing or eliminating the need to open doors, etc. while carrying loads will make similar improvements.

Where the task requires poor handling techniques and posture

Where the task requires poor handling techniques or poor posture to be adopted, efforts must be made to reduce the negative effects of these. The effects of the distance and position of the load from the body, twisting of the trunk and poor posture can be mitigated through changing the task, altering the lay out of the task and effective use of the body. Tasks that are designed to permit the load to be held closer to the body reduce risks of injury. The approach, grasping and placing of the load should be carefully controlled by:

· designing the lay out so that the handler can get close to the load without twisting

· designing the lay out so that the handler’s feet can get as close as possible to the centre of gravity of the load

· storing objects so they can be picked up and carried without an immediate change of direction or twisting

Where the task involves greater distances of lifting, lowering and travel

The stresses on the (lower) back during lifting, lowering and stooping, as well as those from having to travel long distances with a load, can be reduced through changes to the task and to the use of the body. The following measures could be considered:

· giving emphasis to storing, or otherwise providing, loads at waist height (this being the optimum height for lifting);

· providing a suitable platform to assist employees to reach items safely (but must be balanced against the increased risks of trips or stumbles);

· avoiding storing heavy loads such that they require the employee to reach above head height;

· fitting, where appropriate, shelves with rollers or with rollered shelves;

· providing suitable handling aids (such as levers) for lifting objects off the ground to remove the need for stooping and lifting;

· giving consideration to changing the task, such as by replacing carrying with controlled pushing or pulling;

· diving loads could to enable lifting half with each hand (allowing the weight to be distributed evenly;

· using conveyor or rollered table systems to get the load as close to the handler as possible;

· providing suitable resting points (such as tables) where loads must be carried over long distances.

Where the task involves excessive effort, fixed posture and insufficient rest and recovery

Building in variation of the work routine is beneficial in reducing the stresses and strains on backs of those involved in manual handling. Consideration should be given to:

· arranging for the weight to be borne by other means, such as a sling or hoist, when the same posture is maintained for a long period;

· conducting handling activities at the pace of the individual (not of a machine);

· adopting a system that allows for flexible work breaks, to reduce fatigue;

· encouraging the handler o take breaks and move around at convenient times (when the task involves heavy static loads);

· introducing job rotation to avoid fatigue, especially if the different operations use different muscle groups.

Summary

A recent survey of self-reported work-related illness estimated that for the period 2001 - 2002, 1.1 million people in Great Britain suffered from musculoskeletal disorders that were caused, or made worse, by their current or past work. An estimated 12.3 million working days were lost due to these work-related musculoskeletal disorders, with each sufferer taking an average of 20 days off work in the 12-month period. Much of this pain and suffering is avoidable through a simple risk assessment process and from the introduction of appropriate control measures.