WORKING AT HEIGHT
WAREHOUSING HAZARDS
Jerry Rudd, Author of Health & Safety in Logistics, analyses the dangers of working at height in warehouses and transportation.
Falls from height have been a consistent cause of death and injury in warehousing and transportation for many years. The height involved need not be great – it is quite possible to suffer a serious (or even fatal) injury by falling awkwardly from a vehicle’s loading bed.
There are specific legal requirements in the UK. These require risk assessments, to ensure all work at height is planned, organised and carried out by competent persons. If you can, avoid working at height completely, for example vehicles can be unsheeted from ground level. If such work is necessary, then you should use equipment which prevents a fall, eg a MEWP (Mobile Elevating Work Platform, or cherry picker). If neither of these options is available, then you must use equipment such as harnesses to minimise the distance of the potential fall, and severity of potential injuries.
A permanent solution, which protects all workers, is usually better than one to protect an individual, and/or brought into use every time.
For example, if loading roll cages onto the top deck of a double deck trailer, you could supply harnesses, to be attached or detached every time someone enters or leaves the trailer. It is better to provide a curtain or net, which remains in position. Lone workers should never work at height.
FALLING FROM VEHICLES Falls from vehicles are sadly all too common. The
process of avoiding falls should start when the vehicle is specified, for example controls for ancillary equipment such as tail-lifts should be at ground level.
Steps and handholds should be provided to enable safe access to load areas, and all catwalks should be level, large enough, and anti-slip. Catwalks on top of a tanker should have handrails, preferably raised by a lever at ground level, and interlinked with the braking system. On artics, coupling hoses (suzies) are best fitted on a sliding connector block to avoid the need to climb on the vehicle.
Also, everyone should wear non-slip footwear, and it is important to ensure adequate lighting.
DOCK LEVELLERS One obvious risk of a fall is that of absent-mindedly
walking off the end of the ramp. There should be something to prevent this: a chain, extendable tape, or purpose-designed barrier.
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One of the most serious accidents in a warehouse is for a fork-lift to fall between dock leveller and vehicle. There are two main ways for a gap to appear – a vehicle is driven away prematurely, or it creeps slowly away from the dock.
You must therefore minimise these risks. Possible solutions include various methods of deterring an accidental drive off, for example traffic lights, stop signs, barriers, or even steering wheel covers. In some locations drivers must hand over their keys before loading begins.
Physical deterrents include locks fitted to the airlines of articulated trailers to prevent release of the brakes, wheel chocks, or permanently installed mechanical wheel locks, which clamp the vehicle in position.
If you are using loading platforms, such as scissor lifts, these should have guard-rails ≥1,100mm high, toe-guards ≥150mm high, and intermediate rails with gaps ≤ 500mm. Controls must be of the hold-to-run (deadman) type, with at least one other emergency stop control. Gates should be automatically interlocked with the controls.
ACCESSING RACKING In practice, it will be necessary to access racking, either
for maintenance or for order picking.
For regular work, specialised equipment such as high- level order pickers should be provided. It may be safe to use a suitable ladder at lower heights (though the risks of musculoskeletal injuries should be considered).
Climbing racking should be completely prohibited – it is extremely dangerous. An exception may be maintenance by qualified abseilers with specialised equipment. People being lifted on lift truck forks, or an empty pallet, is equally dangerous.
Another option is a metal platform with hand rails, with slots for a pair of forks, and chains to attach it. Many people – including me – do not like these, and would not recommend them: in some countries they are illegal. Occasional use may be permitted, for example, checking damage which might pose an immediate risk. They should not be used for planned tasks.
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