Movement of palletized and loose goods around the warehouse is the core of any warehouse operation.

Amongst the millions of miles covered by human and auto transport, we tend to become lax regarding maintaining the highest possible safety standards.

The most commonly used equipment are forklifts, lift trucks, pallet trucks, telescopic etc. These steel machines can make our businesses more efficient, but if used incorrectly, can lead to severe injury. Some of the common injuries are forklift crush injuries, injuries caused by the forklift causing a pallet rack to collapse, injuries from poorly used PPE etc.

While you may not have a warehouse that uses many forklifts, the humble pallet truck leads to it’s own fair share of accidents. Apart from incidences of running over toes, bruising from stopping a moving pallet truck with your body, overloaded pallet trucks can lead to a gradual and cumulative wearing down on the employee’s musculoskeletal system.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can affect the body’s muscles, joints, tendons, bones and nerves. They cause problems such as discomfort, constant ache and can even lead to permanent disability. They usually develop either from the work itself or from the working conditions.

These disorders can develop because many warehouse managers overlook their basic responsibilities. As an employer, you have a distinct responsibility to maintain the well-being of your staff. Preventing one-off accidents is one way, but you are also responsible for reducing the cumulative damage that handling extremely heavy loads can cause. This can have a long term effect on the profitability of your business.

Research on downtime carried out by the HSE shows that over a third of injuries that result in up to three days taken off from work are caused by manual handling injuries.

Pulling, pushing, lifting and lowering disproportionally heavy weights, generally leads to up to 20 days off in a 12 month period. This is unnecessary downtime that no business can afford and you shouldn’t have to.

Many times, as long as the load on the pallet fits i.e. it has no visible, signifiant overhang, our mind’s eye automatically assumes it isn’t heavy. But think about this, on a standard pallet carrying 56 cases of wine (stacked 4 high and 14 per row), it adds up to a whopping 600kg per pallet!

The weight of the pallet becomes an issue when raising it off the ground, even with the use of the hydraulic pump. However, that’s not all. The strain of pulling the pallet to gain momentum and pushing to stop the rolling truck places a cumulative strain on the worker’s body. Official guidelines advice men not to start or stop any loads more than 20kg. Yet, starting and stopping loads over 500kg (as many individual pallets can reach) requires an effort of up to 24kg .

This largely detrimental practice can be eliminated by adhering to simple rules:

1. Ensure proper training of all who use pallet trucks. Many question this, as the truck is seen as a simple machine to operate, but people need to be reminded of the dangers of improper use. Training includes, but isn’t limited to a quick examination before use to make sure the truck is in good working condition, the pallet isn’t damaged, the load is secure etc.

2. Avoid loading on ramps. Yes, people attempt to load a pallet or pull on an inclined surface. They claim they are saving time, but all they are doing is putting themselves and others in grave danger.

3. Be mindful of the size of each load. While you may not always have a pallet jack with a scale built in, you should train your staff to guesstimate the weight and avoid overloading.

4. Maintain a reasonable speed. Most pallet trucks don’t have brakes and will require power to stop it. Ensure that you are not going too fast to stop it.

5. Avoid fooling around with pallet trucks. Yes, adults have been spotted in numerous warehouses, riding pallet trucks like skateboards, with no regard for safety.

6. Always wear the recommended PPE: a split second of not focusing on the task at hand can lead to turning the pallet jack into the path of your feet. Steel toed boots are a standard PPE requirement on warehouse floors.

To avoid injuries and fatalities, you have a duty as an employer to make sure your equipment is safe and your staff trained to use it. Failure to comply with these can lead to hefty fines and/or loss of life.

Monarch Shelving Limited offers warehouse equipment at competitive prices.

From pallet trucks to pallet racking, we can cater for all your warehouse needs. Call us today for the best quotes in the North West.