Health and Safety Guide for Warehouse Workers

What are the Main Health and Safety Risks Warehouse Workers Can Encounter?

Warehouses or other large storage buildings pose many potential health and safety hazards and associated risks. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) stopped reporting statistics for this sector in 2011; however, the last reported yearly figures show that there were 157 major injuries to workers in warehousing and storage facilities.

Slips, trips and falls are one of the top three causes of non-fatal work injuries involving days away from work. Each year they cause thousands of preventable injuries, and they can cause various injuries such as bruises, sprains, scrapes, broken bones and head traumas. Around 1,000 of these injuries involve someone fracturing bones or dislocating joints.

Key aspects of slips and trips include:

• Uneven surfaces
• Obstacles
• Trailing cables
• Wet or slippery surfaces
• Changes in level

Keep work area floors clean, orderly and dry, and keep surfaces free of hazards such as sharp objects, loose boards, corrosions, leaks, spills, snow and ice. Signpost any slippery areas and make sure footwear with a good grip is worn. We will look at PPE later in this guide. Warehouses should ensure that there is a good housekeeping regime to guarantee passageways are kept clear of clutter and obstacles and other trip hazards. This requires an effective cleaning schedule, adequate storage facilities and sufficient rubbish bins.

It is not unusual for warehouse workers to have to work above floor level, for instance stacking goods on high shelving, removing goods from high places, using ladders or mechanical pickers, or working on elevated walkways or flooring. Falls frequently occur while warehouse workers are over-reaching, attempting to access items, balancing on uneven surfaces, or working on mezzanines, elevated platforms, or loading bays. When working from a height, thorough and regular workplace inspections should be carried out, guardrail and fall arrest systems should be put in place and training should be provided. In particular, steps must be taken to ensure workers do not stand on forklift truck forks, or pallets mounted on forks, to access heights. This is a regular cause of fatal injury in warehouse and storage facilities.

Stock falling from racking or racking collapsing can cause serious injury and even death, so racking should be visually inspected at least once a month by a technically competent person. Load capacities should be obeyed and a damage log kept. Areas and specific activities in the warehouse where there is a risk of an object falling and striking someone should be clearly indicated to prevent entry by unauthorised persons.

Workers in warehouses can be struck by pedestrian operated pallet trucks, racks, trolleys, roller cages etc. Designated routes should be kept away from other workers where possible, and the person pushing/pulling the apparatus should have good visibility.

Manual handling injuries have a major impact on all workplaces and sectors, costing the economy hundreds of millions every year. Manual handling encompasses a wide range of actions including lifting, lowering, pulling, pushing, and carrying awkward and heavy objects; the risks are endless for warehouse workers who may experience manual handling injuries such as:

• Back injuries
• Hernias
• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as shoulder strain
• Repetitive strain injury (RSI) such as wrist strain
• Soft-tissue injuries to the wrists, arms, shoulders, legs or neck
• Long-term pain in the arms, legs or joints

Overexertion is something that is easily done in any environment and can be difficult to avoid. Overexertion is usually caused by someone trying to lift or move something heavier than their capabilities or doing so incorrectly. Manual handling tasks should be avoided wherever possible. Where it isn’t possible to avoid handling a load, suitable safety measures should be introduced such as staff having the use of trollies or lifting equipment to move heavy items, and all staff should receive manual handling training to prevent and avoid injury.

Forklift trucks (FLTs) are widely used in warehouses as they can eliminate some or all manual handling. However, FLTs are dangerous vehicles and can cause serious life-changing injuries and fatalities. Consequently, action should be taken to ensure the safe use of FLTs in warehouses.

The racking in aisles must be organised to allow for safe access to goods and movement of FLTs. The aisles should be sufficiently wide, with adequate clearance room overhead. Staff should follow good housekeeping practices and ensure the aisles are kept free of obstructions. Pedestrians and vehicles must be able to circulate in a safe manner.

The areas in which FLTs operate should, if possible, be separated from the areas where pedestrians are likely to be. More than half of FLT accidents that seriously injure workers are caused to workers on foot. It is therefore essential to give pedestrians a warning when a truck is getting too close. There are now high-powered LEDs to cast bright bold red lines on the floor behind and to the side of a truck. These show those working in the area of the truck the distance that they must maintain to continue working safely.

Injuries that can be caused by FLT vehicles can range from minor to severe, with the root cause predominantly being improper use or insufficient training. These types of vehicles should only be operated by those with valid certifications and training, such as a forklift licence training course. Employers should enforce the use of seatbelts on forklift trucks and other vehicles, as around a quarter of all workplace transport accidents involve forklift trucks, with drivers being crushed after falling from a forklift truck.

Vehicle movement in and around warehouses requires careful and constant management to prevent accidents. This requires workplace traffic routes that allow pedestrians and vehicles to circulate safely. Where vehicles and pedestrians use the same traffic route, there should be adequate separation between them and, if possible, complete separation of vehicles and pedestrians. Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving vehicles at work occur during vehicle reversing. Warehouses need to be designed and operated to prevent such accidents. If possible, the need for reversing should be eliminated or, if this is not possible, minimised. Pedestrians should be kept out of areas where vehicles reverse.

Loading and unloading vehicles can be dangerous and needs safe systems of work to be in place. Goods should be securely packed and arranged so that they are safe for transport and unloading, shrink-wrapped on pallets, or in roller cages. Fall protection measures may be necessary for unloading goods or materials if there is a risk of injury from a fall.

In many warehouses, equipment such as forklift trucks, conveyors and compressors could give rise to potentially hazardous levels of noise. Industrial noise pollution caused by machinery and vehicles can have a detrimental effect on people’s mental and physical well-being. Prolonged exposure to noise can lead to:

• Stress and anxiety
• Productivity loss
• Fatigue
• Communication issues
• Tinnitus
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Deafness
• Nervous disorders
• Neurological problems
• Headaches

Warehouse workers participating in noise-heavy activities must wear protective equipment at all times.

In some warehouses there will be additional activities that will require their own precautions. These activities include storage of products that are classified as hazardous and that can cause harm to workers, and products that are flammable. Procedures need to be in place to prevent exposure to hazardous chemicals and to control the risk of damage to the environment caused by spillages. Handwashing should be second nature by now, but warehouse workers using any chemical substances must fully decontaminate themselves after using or coming into contact with hazardous materials. Good ventilation also proves an essential safety measure to stop the build-up of toxic vapours. All chemicals must be treated with caution, and employers must provide sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees that are required to use any chemicals, and ensure that all staff are sufficiently trained in categorising and handling them, as well as trained in providing first aid to immediately treat any injuries suffered to minimise the harm.

Warehouses can have a lot of open space, and often contain flammable materials such as shrink-wrap plastic, used to wrap the pallets, which makes them more flammable, conditions under which fire can spread extremely rapidly, leading to damage to the warehouse, harm to people, and loss of valuable resources and operation time. When a fire starts in a building, it can happen very quickly. Burns and respiratory damage can be caused by flammable materials or electrical equipment igniting. Fire safety is a serious subject and precautions must be taken by all workplaces. These precautions include checking all power cords are in good condition and that power outlets are not overloaded.

It is also vital to ensure that emergency lighting is installed and that staff know where fire extinguishers are located, where their nearest fire exit is, and that emergency exits are clear at all times. Regular fire alarm testing should take place as well as regular fire evacuation tests.

Employers and management need to be able to confirm that:

• Firefighting equipment is in place
• Fire evacuation procedures are clearly displayed
• All staff are aware of the evacuation drill, including arrangements for any vulnerable adults

In order to remain effective, fire risk assessments must be kept up to date. It is recommended that the responsible person completes a fire risk assessment at least once a year, and must conduct a review whenever there is a significant change in the environment.

Cold stores have very specific risks associated with them, for example those that arise from workers accidentally being locked in, over-exposure to cold conditions, slips and falls owing to ice build-up, and accidental release of refrigerant, a chemical cooling agent used in refrigeration. Freezing injuries include frostnip, frostbite, frost burn or skin damage when in contact with cold surfaces. Avoiding contact with metal and plastic surfaces with bare skin can help prevent these injuries. When there is prolonged exposure to temperatures of -20̊C or below, exposure to bare skin should be avoided.

Non-freezing and chronic injuries may be less obvious, but are usually marked by prolonged numbness, pain, swelling and sensitivity to the cold, in the hands or feet. They occur when tissues remain cold for many hours but do not freeze, and are best prevented by ensuring that cold stores warehouse workers warm up thoroughly during breaks, and by keeping their body warm, but not too hot. They should also report these problems early so they can be addressed. Hypothermia, which is a drop in body temperature, is unlikely in occupational circumstances; however, be aware that cold hands and feet indicate a drop in body temperature which could lead to hypothermia.

Cold exposure can be a trigger for certain diseases and aggravate the symptoms of prevailing chronic diseases. Warehouse workers working in cold stores should be physically fit for work.

Medical conditions that are likely to be adversely affected by the low temperature include:

• Asthma or other respiratory conditions, as freezer air is very dry. It may not be necessary to exclude people from cold-store areas who suffer from allergic asthma which is not cold induced.
• Cardiovascular and circulatory conditions such as angina, Raynaud’s disease etc.
• Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HVS).
• Arthritis.
• Musculoskeletal diseases.
• Skin diseases.
• Metabolic disorders, for example thyroid, and also diabetes whether controlled by tablets or injections.

It is of prime importance in such cold environments that all significant hazards are identified, the risk assessed and appropriate control measures put in place.