WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT FEATURE HOW TO ENSURE WAREHOUSE SAFETY IS AUTOMATIC
Technology moves at lightning speed, particularly in warehousing, logistics and transport, writes FLTA chief executive Peter Harvey. In recent years we’ve seen automation gain a lot of traction thanks to the big benefits it brings to businesses. From a safety perspective automation
virtually eliminates humans from some workplaces, stopping the vast majority of accidents. However, for many SMEs it is impractical to implement or financially out of their reach. Which leaves us with a big problem. Although the UK has some of the most stringent health and safety legislation in Europe the number of serious accidents (1300 a year) is on the increase and most victims are colleagues working alongside lift trucks. It is clear that as an industry we must take action. While great strides have been made to
conventional materials handling equipment in recent years, the vast majority of fork lift incidents and associated injuries aren’t due to technological error but human fallibility. The repetitive nature of tasks carried out by fork lift operators means that bad habits can creep in if unchecked. It’s a common occurrence and even the best- trained and most safety-conscious organisations are at risk if managers and supervisors don’t act. Motivation and
training are key factors in engaging staff and reducing injuries. This is particularly true of new starters and agency staff. During the first month of employment
any worker (new or temporary) is four times more likely to be involved in an accident. Competent management is vital to reduce this risk yet far too few managers and supervisors have had any formal training. The UK’s largest training organisation for fork lift trucks reports that 9 out of 10 managers and supervisors attending their management courses were unaware of their legal responsibilities. This could cost them personally: there’s
been a threefold increase in the number of HSE prosecutions brought against company directors and senior managers for health and safety offences in the past year, many of them resulting in significant fines or prison sentences. While not all incidents result in a court appearance (or
even injury) it’s important not to overlook their associated costs. One leading UK supermarket chain readily accepts as normal an annual £3 million bill for repairing or replacing damaged racking alone but what about the associated stock costs and the time spent cleaning up, restocking and recycling? Then there’s the cost to the truck itself.
FLTA chief executive Peter Harvey
When damage occurs someone has to pay and forklifts are expensive to repair
When damage occurs someone has to pay and forklifts are expensive to repair. A knock to an overhead guard could cost thousands of pounds. We have heard estimates that typical bills for repairing damage over the length of a forklift contract add as much as another 5% to a truck’s total rental price. In a decent-sized fleet this could be as much as £100,000. Automation may be the future but right
now the majority of SMEs in Europe are running small fork lift fleets in real world situations. This means that the only way to make significant and lasting change in the short term is for management to take ownership by changing company culture and behaviours from shop floor to boardroom. It’s up to each of us to ask: ourself how can I make a difference today?
The Fork Lift Truck Association T: 01635 277577
www.fork-truck.org.uk
MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS | MARCH/APRIL 2017 S7
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