While any work environment poses its own threats to the workforce, according to HSE statistics there were 157 major injuries among warehouse workers between 2010/11 so this sector is clearly one of the places most susceptible to problems.
So if we know it to be a work location open to all sorts of greater risks, why is it that we still see so many businesses failing to put in place a dedicated training and safety provision?
There is no simple answer to this, just as there’s no straightforward conclusion as to why any employer might not consider utilising a more specific and evidence based behaviour change programme.
Through my experience in Preventative Services at RehabWorks, it’s often when an accident happens (or an exceptionally close call) that suddenly the idea of budget, time and effort going into dedicated safety provision becomes a priority.
Our recent work has seen in-depth task analysis for some very large scale bodies who have to factor in the specificity of warehouse safety.
One such case saw us stepping in to support a multi-million pound business which had never had manual handling training provision for their staff, despite the large percentage of the work day being shaped around the lifting and loading of heavy sacks and awkward large products.
The challenge for us as professionals is to ensure we help that genre of client to see how their productivity and cost effectiveness can only be improved – and greatly – by making recommendations and having training in place to reduce accidents, downtime, psychological distress….and any number of other consequences.
The specific issues associated with working in a warehouse are:
- Slips and trips: this accounts for around a quarter of all major injuries in the warehousing industry, and is typically due to stock spillages.
- Manual Handling: Almost one half of injuries resulting in over a 3-day absence is due to manual handling. Loads are often heavy, difficult to handle, and have to be transferred from various heights.
- Shift work: poorly designed shift patterns and working long hours that don’t balance the demands of work with time for rest and recovery can result in physical and mental fatigue, accidents, and ill health.
- Working in close proximity to motorised vehicles:1 in 10 major accidents in warehouses are the direct result of being hit by a moving vehicle. Incidents like this can be dramatically reduced by reviewing the design and layout of warehouses and creating a safe system of traffic management.
- Noise: other than the obvious risk to employee’s hearing, noise can cause stress and make communication more difficult.
At RehabWorks we’ve spent a great deal of time pooling our team’s collective skills and experiences to make evidence based recommendations and develop and effectively deliver bespoke training for environments of this nature – much like we have other industries, such as utilities, construction, transport, manufacturing and office work.
More often than not, we find employers are keen to learn from any task analysis we undertake on their behalf, and certainly more aware of the legislation surrounding safe working practices.
But, all that said, there is always something further that business owners can do to improve their safety procedures and to ensure the wellbeing of their staff in more vulnerable venues like warehousing.
These would be my top five tips to any manager or proprietor who knows that a substantial part of their staff’s working practice takes place in a warehouse:
- Provide employees with specific training that’s relevant to their job; incorporates work specific practical activities and is delivered by competent trainers.
- Strive for a high level of general housekeeping to minimise trips and slips.
- Complete regular inspections of equipment and vehicles to ensure any faults are identified early.
- Think ergonomics- fit the work to the employee, rather than the other way around.
- Never underestimate the wealth of information you can gain from employees, and actively consult them for their views about health and safety.
Tom Bivins is preventative services lead for injury management and rehabilitation service provider, RehabWorks.
