Accidents are inevitable no matter what industry you're in. They can cause serious harm to the individual and to those who run the business. It is crucial that the business and its employees know specifically about health and safety legislation and how to avoid accidents at work, having a safety handbook for staff that can be referred to for reference. But, even simple additions such as having suitable health and safety kits.
1. Simple
Slips and trips are very common accidents at work and can cause debilitating or disabling injuries. They occur most frequently in factories and warehouses when liquid spills, sawdust, boxes or pallets are present in walkways. Accidents at work involving slips and trips are easy to avoid by keeping walkways clean and clear of obstructions that cause trip hazards. Always store pallets and boxes correctly in marked areas or in shelves.
2. Falls From Height
To avoid falls from heights, all employees working at height should be trained in the proper use of ladders and safety equipment. Guard rails should be used on all elevated walkways and only safe shelving systems should be used.
3. Falling Objects
When working in a warehouse, there is an added risk of heavy objects falling. Thus, to minimize this risk, it is essential that stacked goods have to be stacked with the heaviest and largest pallets at the bottom for safety precautions. When racking pallets, it is also necessary to leave a gap between pallets to avoid collapse when accessed by a lift truck. You should always follow the correct procedures for shelving units to avoid falls.
4. Forklift Accidents
Forklift accidents can occur in factories and warehouses for the simple fact that they may be novices in operating a forklift and be unfamiliar with the system, or it can be caused by the more experienced drivers being careless. In either situation, injury can be a result of these errors for the driver or another worker. Therefore, it is crucial that only correctly trained forklift drivers should be operating lift trucks in the workplace. Factories and warehouses should use marked roadways in order to separate both foot traffic and lifting machinery to minimse potential risks.
Safety Procedures
1. What you need to be aware of!
Each of the following points refers to the documentation and legislation that is used for the safety of all staff and visitors.
- Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Workplace Health and Safety Regulations 1992
2. The importance of a safety handbook
It may be worth getting a safety handbook in order to keep staff and employees up to date with how to use all the tools and machinery correctly, who is the closest first-aider in the workplace and what to do in the event of accidents at work. Therefore, if things change within the workplace such as the first-aider or new machinery that is added.
3. The correct equipment
Using incorrect tooling for any job presents a significant chance of injury, whilst the severity of an injury varies with the type of job. It is important for whatever job, the workforce is trained in knowing which are the correct tools to use in every different job.
4. Clear signs
Clear signage should be provided by the employer around the factory or warehouse that indicates potential hazards, correct PPE for all hazardous areas and what action should be taken following an accident.
Invest in First Aid at Work Training and First Aid Kits
Every workspace should have the minimum number of first-aiders present at any time. An employer should consider investing in training courses such as Emergency First-Aid at Work. Employers should also give first aid kits to first-aiders to keep at their workstations. Employers can buy further first aid kits to distribute around the workplace to ensure one is always to hand. When accidents at work inevitably occur it is essential to bring proper provisions in advance