Do not give rides or use the forks to lift people.Use horns at cross aisles and obstructed areas.Slow down in congested areas and those with slippery surfaces.Watch for pedestrians and observe the speed limit.Never back up a forklift to the dock’s edge. Keep a safe distance from platform, ramp, and loading dock edges.Follow safe procedures for picking up, putting down and stacking loads.Ensure you have enough clearance when raising, loading, and operating the vehicle.Never exceed the rated load and ensure it is stable and balanced.Before operating the vehicle, examine it for hazardous conditions which would make it unsafe to operate.Operators must be trained on the type of vehicle in use, and on workplace conditions.No one under the age of 18 may use a forklift. Only trained and certified workers may operate a forklift.This prevents injuries to operators and pedestrians and damage to other warehouse equipment (storage racks, stored materials, etc.). Forklift operators must be properly trained to ensure understanding of the working environment. Warehouses are a constant moving mix of people, vehicles and equipment. This eTool covers example ergonomic hazards and solutions specializing in traditional order picking. OSHA Technical Manual (OTM) Section VII: Chapter 1: Back Disorders and Injuries.OSHA Safety and Health topic page dedicated to preventing injuries to workers from musculoskeletal disorders. The following provide additional information regarding ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders: Provide anti-fatigue mats or shoes that cushion and provide arch support.Keep item weights under 10 pounds or 2 pounds when a pinch grip is used, and tote weights under 35 pounds.Place high volume times near standing elbow height.These workers face repetitive hand, wrist and shoulder movements from high volume picking. Workers consolidate orders then place them in a bag or box for shipping. Picking individual items from a case for an order.Īs in unit and case picking, workers in item picking operations are exposed to PIT hazards. Provide adequate warm time for workers in cold storage.Develop job rotation and work/rest cycles to provide whole body and local muscle fatigue recovery.Place heavier cases on the bottom of an order and limit consolidated orders to shoulder height.Provide access to the 3 sides of the pallet for both floor stock and order consolidation pallets.Raise pallets used for order consolidation to reduce bending on the first layer.For cases over 35 pounds, raise the pallet so cases can be lifted between the knees and mid chest.Reduce case weights to 35 pounds or less.In cold environments (e.g., refrigerated warehouses), exerting additional force and pressure to grip, lift, hold, and carry objects, which may exacerbate other MSD risk factors Wrist overexertion from prolonged awkward posture and force needed to operate the pallet jack throttle and stretch wrap orders.Overexertion sprains and strains to the back and shoulders from manually moving materials.As in unit load shipping and processing, workers in case picking operations are exposed to PIT hazards. Picking cases from a pallet or other unit load.Ĭases weigh from a few pounds to over 100 pounds. Minimize long travel distances while backwards.Use shorter loads to enable forward driving.Use a camera to assist with storage and retrieval of unit loads.Provide seats with adjustable lumbar support and vibration dampening.Install and maintain dock levelers appropriate for the vehicles used in receiving and shipping.Fill cracks in the floor and smooth transitions between areas.Conduct routine maintenance of PITs to reduce vibration from the vehicle.Back disorders from prolonged sitting without lumbar support.Chronic neck pain from prolonged looking up to store units and looking back while driving in reverse.Dock shock from uneven transition to a truck trailer or rail car.Whole-body vibration from uneven floors.Hazards in these operations are mainly related to the use of powered industrial trucks (PITs), and include: Receiving unit loads (i.e., pallets, bins, large boxes, carpet and paper rolls).
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