Lightening the load
June 1st 2009

According to HSE statistics, over a third of injuries of over three days duration involve manual handling. Training provider Safety Media says there are ways of avoiding costly injury-related absenteeism – for as little as 50p...

Warehouse operatives have a tough job to do. Not only do they load and unload vehicles, store goods, pick and pack customer orders, carry out heavy lifting and moving, drive forklift trucks or delivery vans and manage waste, these tasks are often done at night, as well as during the day. On top of all these tasks, warehouse operatives may be required to check deliveries against paperwork for missing or damaged items, enter data onto a live system and maintain stock, while keeping the warehouse area tidy and clean to boot.

Many of these duties involve the manual handling of materials, and if adequate training has not been given and it is done incorrectly, it can lead to a huge amount of distress and pain to operatives and result in massive disruption to both the workplace and their home lives.

Warehouse operatives need a range of skills. They need to be able to work on their own without supervision to tight deadlines, which could be disastrous if they were unsure what they were doing. They need high levels of accuracy and attention to detail, a responsible attitude, the ability to work in a team, communication skills, basic computer literacy and maths, and good physical fitness. A NVQ in warehousing and storage or logistics operations management may be advisable, while a counterbalance or reach forklift truck licence and/or clean driving licence may also be demanded.

Incorrect materials handling risks Lack of training in the correct materials handling procedures can result in many physical disabilities to operatives.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common cause of occupational ill-health, affecting one million people per year and costing society £5.7 billion a year, according to the TUC.

Lower back injuries are the most frequent, suffered by 300,000 people a year, but other muscle groups, limbs, tendons and joints are involved in manual handling and may also be affected. In fact, more than a third of injuries of over three days' duration reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) involve manual handling.

In addition, there are also likely damaging consequences of poor materials handling training on employers, in terms of lost working days and a potential detrimental effect on their reputation. If an employee were injured or even killed through lack of training, this could result in prosecution, a large fine or even imprisonment under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. Giving successful training can save the employer money and grief.

Training styles Training can play a significant part in raising the level of warehouse operatives' skills, improving efficiency and reducing accidents. So what types of training are the most appropriate? Warehouse operatives may need to be trained in safe lifting, carrying and handling techniques, storage requirements, completing paperwork and/or computer records and forklift driving, the kind of training depending on the size and type of organisation, the timeline and budget for training, and the desired outcome.

Traditional in-house or off-site training delivery, on a one-to-one basis or in groups or seminars, can be very expensive, and these days newer methods may perhaps be more suitable for training warehouse operatives in materials handling.

E-learning (online training) can cost as little as 50 pence per employee yet still provides fast, efficient, flexible and high quality training. Warehouse operatives' roles usually now require them to use computers to some extent, so this is an option that could be easily integrated into an organisation's training strategy. If operatives do not have direct access to a PC at work, group training sessions can be organised using handsets that interact with the trainer, or modules can be accessed at home. Manual handling DVDs, CDROMS and software are other effective modern methods of training.

Safety Media's new materials handling website offers a free manual handling audit, with the results emailed to the user within minutes, a free safety video and manual handling information pack, as well as plenty of advice on training. It gives employers good ideas on where to start to tackle the training issue.

If employers need reminding of the consequences of not training staff correctly, a recent case demonstrates this all too clearly. A Leeds delivery driver who had never been given training in lifting heavy loads by his employer, a metalworking company, was awarded £3,300 in compensation following an accident at work while unloading heavy fences that resulted in him having to take several weeks off work owing to his injuries. A cautionary but all too common tale.

Don't cut back Current economic conditions pose a further strain on warehouse operation, as they may tempt employers to make cutbacks, which could result in more inadequately risk-assessed handling tasks being carried out by untrained operatives. Materials handling training should never be overlooked, even during financial downturns, as this could have disastrous consequences and make matters worse.

Employers must ensure that all warehouse operatives are fully up to speed with this vital issue.

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