Material handling equipment is generally used in a typical warehouse and without appropriate safety protocol being strictly implemented can result in a dangerous working environment.
The UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) is the voice of the UK material handling industry. We work tirelessly to raise awareness of safety and help our members and the wider industry reduce the number of accidents in the industries where moving material is an essential part of business operations.
A fork lift truck is one of the most useful pieces of warehouse equipment but without a safe operating protocol can be dangerous. Almost daily there will be at least one major fork lift truck accident in the UK when an employee will be hospitalised or worse with long-term consequences for victim and employer alike. In addition, there will be countless minor incidents causing painful injuries, reducing productivity and damaging trucks, racking and valuable stock that will all be costly to warehouse businesses.
You can protect your workers and yourself with the UKMHA free four-step guide ‘Safer site essentials’ that helps manage safety risks with simple actions. These steps cover the key basics for fork lift operation, and this article summarises one of the steps: what makes a warehouse site safe.
The first step in eliminating risks in the warehouse, and other workplaces, starts by removing layout and design risks, including:
- Segregate pedestrians and trucks where possible and ensure any crossing points are clear and well signposted.
- Aisles should be wide, free of obstacles and ideally one-way.
- Consider speed and the use of wall-mounted mirrors to enhance visibility.
- Minimise reversing and ramp use.
- Provide high levels of lighting and ventilation.
- Provide separate spaces for truck parking and maintenance.
- All sites kept clean, tidy and maintained.
Most people injured in fork lift truck incidents are non-operators, so consider training for those working in the same areas as fork lifts.
Encouraging workers suggestions and acting upon them gives everyone a sense of ownership and involvement. Enforce standards with regular refreshers and written materials, and encourage people to report issues and incidents.
The other steps in the free UKMHA guide can be found here.
