Feature Warehouse safety Safer with mechanical lifting


The latest annual figures from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) show that industrial injuries related to manual handling remain the biggest cause of time off work in the UK. But employers can meet their duty of care obligations and provide employees with a simple and effective way to handle all sorts of loads efficiently and economically by installing the right equipment for their needs


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ot only were handling injuries the most commonly reported during the year ending April 2012 but handling was also the most frequent cause of over-3-day and the fourth most reported reason for major injury. Around 1.2 million work- ing days were lost because of handling, lifting or carrying. A further 800,000 or so working days were lost following slips and trips in the workplace. The HSE has changed its reporting procedures for RIDDOR and LFS this year to include injuries that led to less than four, between four and seven and over seven days off work. Previous years have focused more on under- and over-three-day injuries.


Nevertheless it is clear from the published data that the total reported non-fatal injuries fell from just under one million in 2003/4 to around 600,000 in 2011/12. This is good news in general although individual acci- dents and injuries still cause consider- able distress and hardship to those affected. According to the HSE around 591,000 workers had an accident during 2011/12 and almost two thirds


of these led to more than three days off work. Around 40 per cent of injuries affect backs while a further 40 per cent affect upper limbs.


The ongoing reduction in reported accidents and injuries is welcome and there is a tremendous opportunity across industry to continue this trend. Better awareness, more training and simpler procedures can all play a part but further measures may be required. Looking further into the statistics shows that the highest injury rates are found in industries where one would expect handling, lifting and carrying to be an everyday part of the job. Many of the those employed in these sectors work in small businesses where the impact of time off work can be doubly difficult to cope with from an employer’s perspective because there are fewer people with suitable skills and expertise to provide cover. But these are also the industries where simple but effective mechanical lifting equipment can be introduced to elimi- nate the need for manual handling and therefore reduce the risk of injuries and time off work.


A goods lift for warehouses and factories from Penny Hydraulics


Vehicle mounted cranes and plat- form lifts and goods lifts for ware- houses and factories are designed and manufactured to support simpler and safer work. These are ideal for a vari- ety of loads and enable businesses to comply with the current manual han- dling regulations which stipulate that no items weighing over 25kg should be lifted by a person on their own. In fact, when lifting or handling is regular or frequent the recommended limits are even lower.


Penny Hydraulics pennyhydraulics.com T: 01246 811475 Enter 320


Forklift ‘glove’ reduces the risk of damage W


hen it comes to the storage of hazardous chemicals, the Health and Safety Executive recommends that individual risk management policies be developed for all warehouses or other premises where packaged dangerous substances are kept. As part of this process, warehouse operators need to ensure that the most appropriate mechanical handling equipment is used to avoid any damage to the stored product’s packaging that may lead to spillage of the contents and, therefore, accidents. One of the most common ways that the packaging of dangerous substances becomes damaged within a warehouse is when the forks of a forklift truck pierce it during the pallet put away or picking process. A recent HSE investigation in to accidents involving the spillage of ammonia within chemical plants and warehouses highlighted the number of cases where a forklift’s forks had penetrated IBCs or drums containing ammonia solution. The Sumo Glove is a simple product now available that significantly reduces the damage caused by forklift trucks to


loads stored on a pallet during the pallet handling process. It is a protective cover that fits to the tips of a lift truck’s forks. Its cushioning effect reduces load damage and enhances safety without affecting the operational effectiveness of the forklift truck. Essentially, the Sumo Glove works as a pad that reduces the impact of a carelessly driven lift truck’s forks against the load. Made from industrial grade polyurethane, Sumo Gloves are quickly and easily fitted and are compatible with all common makes and size of forklift forks. Sumo Industrial & Allied Products Marketing


T: 01344 622784 Factory Equipment JULY/AUGUST 2013 www.sumoglove.com Enter 321


Businesses which understand their duty of care obligations and which want to ensure compliance often deploy two or more employees to handle items heavier than the recom- mend limits so that each person’s ‘share’ of the lift is below 25kg. This is seldom a good use of resources and can be extremely unproductive. By installing a load handling device on their commercial vehicles or a goods lift in their premises, employers can meet their duty of care obligations and provide employees with a simple and effective way to handle all sorts of loads efficiently and economically without any need for manual lifting or carrying. In addition to reducing the risk of industrial injuries and enabling com- pliance with regulations this type of equipment allows a single person to work on their own. This provides an instant improvement to productivity, efficiency and resource flexibility. Moreover, with no need to lift and carry items, employees will be less fatigued during the day which means they can remain alert and productive for longer.


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