Handle yourself with care
September 1st 2009 Just three years ago the storage and warehousing industry reported over 10,000 work related accidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities.Here the HSE outlines some of the most common risks in this sector
Over 1700 of those accidents were
classified as major injuries such
as fractures and amputations.
These statistics firmly place the storage,
warehouse and handling industry near
the top of the list for potentially
hazardous environments.
It's a complex industry that can expose
staff to a multitude of risks and taking a
proactive approach to managing health
and safety should be a prerequisite for any
organisation operating in this industry.
As always, HSE advises a common
sense, proportionate approach to working
in this industry and maintains safety can
be improved exponentially by doing
simple things correctly. For anyone who
runs a warehouse or storage facility you
can reduce health and safety risks and
your costs by concentrating your efforts
on the main causes of injury and
occupational ill health at your premises.
Priority topics the HSE has identified as
requiring attention within the industry
are slips and trips, musculoskeletal
disorders (MSDs), work at height and
vehicles in and around the warehouse.
Guidance is also issued on other
hazards such as storage systems,
mechanical handling and electrical safety.
Around a quarter of major injuries
(broken bones, injuries requiring
hospitalisation for 24 hours or more) in
warehousing are caused by staff slipping
or tripping.
These type of accidents are traditionally
viewed as less serious than say, fork lift
truck incidents. However, from the
pattern of major injuries it's clear workers
are sustaining serious injury from the
actual fall or the impact of the objects or
structures they fall upon.
After slips and trips, manual handling
accidents make up 18 percent of major
injury and cause all sorts of subsequent
health problems for those injured while
carrying out these tasks, MSDs being a
particular problem.
MSDs are the most common
occupational illness in Great Britain. They
affect one million people a year and
account for more than 40 percent of
RIDDOR reported 'over-three-day'
absence and are generally caused by
excessive manual handling or heavy lifting
incidents.
They include problems such as lower
back pain, neck pain, and upper limb
disorders. Injuries happen because of a
single incident or can develop over time.
A range of common work tasks such as
repetitive and heavy lifting, bending and
twisting, exerting force in a static position
for extended periods of time or adverse
conditions e.g. too hot or cold can be the
root cause of MSDs.
This kind of injury really is a problem
in the industry but can be reduced or
prevented by using a common sense
approach and controlling the risks.
Head of HSE's Services, Transportation
and Safety Unit Nick Ratty says putting
measures in place to minimise risk of
serious injury should not interfere with an
organisation's productivity or profits.
"In fact," Nick says "implementing
good practice in the industry will save the
company both money and lost work days
due to injury.
"There are still far too many RIDDOR
reported injuries in this sector but there
are signs it is turning around as more
companies are championing good
practice by taking the health and safety
measures at work seriously.
"Carrying out simple risk assessments
as laid down in HSE guidance has a real
effect on the likelihood of injury in the
workplace and that can only be good for
all involved."
There is no room to pick out every
identifiable hazard here but guidance
specifically for the warehouse and storage
industry can be obtained from HSE Books
or at www.hse.gov.uk/
warehousing/index.htm
The guidance contains extensive
information on reducing risk and help
keep your workforce healthy and injury
free. More articles from HSE InfoLine: | 
