Show some commitment
September 1st 2011 According to John Meale,MD of
Thorworld Industries,a positive
commitment to safety in and around the
loading bay can save money and provide
long-term peace of mind
Accredited SAFEcontractor member,
Thorworld Industries has issued a reminder
that it is in the interest of all businesses to
take a proactive approach to protect its own workers
and resources. The company is maintaining its
safety initiative, focusing on the vehicle loading and
unloading area.
Potentially this is one of the most hazardous
areas in any company, warehouse or distribution
centre. Yet despite the existence of an extensive
range of safety equipment on the market to protect
against accidents, the company continues to see
examples of poor practice.
"It astonishes me to see businesses operating without a robust
loading and unloading area safety strategy," says Thorworld
managing director John Meale. "Sometimes, a firm will discover
the limitations of their procedures the hard way, after somebody
has already been injured. For others, their loading and unloading
areas are – as the saying goes – 'an accident waiting to happen.'"
Thorworld points out that addressing the threat of legal
comeback is not the only aspect of a sound health and safety
policy. Aside from the ethical 'duty of care' considerations an
employer owes to its personnel, there are strong economic
imperatives for investing in safety equipment. Some of the costs
associated with an accident can be measured immediately in
terms of damage and downtime, but longer-term implications –
such as higher insurance premiums or the threat of legal action –
aren't always obvious.
Thorworld provides a one-stop source for high
quality, standard and bespoke, loading bay and
materials handling equipment, safety aids and
accessories. However, investing in equipment is not in
itself enough to guarantee a safe working
environment. Numerous standards and directives
applicable to good practice in installation and
operation must be adhered to. And there's no better
safety device than knowledge; a vital aspect of health
and safety is to ensure that employees receive
appropriate training to ensure they know what they
are doing. Thorworld offers a range of training
programmes to help customers master the safe and
efficient handling of its loading bay equipment.
"With a little common sense, backed by expert guidance and
smart investment in equipment and training, loading/unloading
area safety can be improved to the point where accidents will be
waiting a long time before they
happen," says Meale. More articles from Thorworld Industries: | 
