As many as 10,000 people are injured in Britain’s warehouses with around 1700 of those injured being deemed serious such as fractures and even amputations. During the following months the weather will be changing as we head into winter. At this time of year, coming closer to Christmas, some of our factories will be taking on extra/temporary workers to deal with the extra load, this is when people are most at risk. The dangers in warehousing can stem from 4 major categories:
- Slips and Trips
- Manual Handling
- Falls from Height
- Being hit by falling object
During the winter months our floors become wet by employees walking in and out the factory whilst it is raining. The smoother the floor, the slippery it will become. Floors are best treated with a good ‘rough’ anti slip floor paint.
Footwear can also play a vital part in keeping you safe. Remember a good tread is better than a smooth sole.
What if an employee trips on the factory floor? This can often lead to complications like back problems, hospital visits and years on the sick costing the British economy in lost work hours. As with any industry good housekeeping is a must.
Many employees suffer from lower back pain or upper limb disorders which can be caused by bad manual handling techniques. When considering moving an object from one position to another, there are several factors that have to be adhered to prevent injury:
- The task
- The load
- The movement (route where load has to be moved to)
Risk assessments are important to ensure that all the dangers are identified. If constant lifting of heavy objects is part of the procedure, see if any other ways are available e.g. lift trucks, pallet trucks, trolleys, conveyors, chutes, scissor lifts etc. Provide training in safe manual handling techniques and manual handling. Training should be specific to the task and all employees should be well informed about the load.
Falls from height still remains the most common type of accident in British factories. If you have to work from a height then you must plan and organise. People driving fork trucks and scissor lifts must have the proper licences and authorised to drive such vehicles, proper risk assessments have to be carried out on all work done at height (this includes sub contractors), all ladders and platforms must be safety checked and fit for use. All employees that work at height must be competent at what they do.
Employees working from a height must be aware that if objects fall from their platform then their is a real danger that it could kill someone below. Proper equipment has to be in-place to ensure that objects don’t accidently come loose or fall. This can include safety netting, scaffolding and keep-out barriers on the ground. All machines and employees used for working at height must be fit for purpose. It’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that all Health and Safety procedures are always carried out.
One Response
It could save an employer thousands of pounds in damages, and the employees a lot of pain and anguish if all business carry out all the necessary health and safety procedures to ensure a safe, and efficient working environment. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.