Safer docks, warehouse areas, come with design and planning
Places where vehicles, equipment, and workers are continually in motion, such as fleet yards, loading docks, and warehouse areas, are rife with potential hazards. And the hazards range from collisions to slips, trips, and falls to being struck by an object.
However, there are methods for mitigating the hazards.
WorkSafe BC's manager of prevention field services, Morris Benetton, recommends beginning the selection process for equipment used in a facility and fleet yard with a design that is inherently secure.
He explains that managers must consider a number of factors pertaining to workplace operations, including traffic flows, the surfaces on which vehicles and equipment will operate, and the way in which employees' schedules will overlap with those of equipment operating in the yard.
Some lift vehicles, for instance, can operate on a paved surface but cannot operate safely in a lumber yard with a gravel surface, regardless of how compact or level the gravel is.
Choosing lift trucks
In order to prevent malfunctions, it is also important to consider the size and type of the transported products, as well as the yard and dock space.
"You should question yourself, 'Does the selection of lift trucks match the workplace, the materials to be handled, and their weight or mass? Are the loads you propose to transport with lift trucks unitized? Are these materials bulky? What are the space requirements for the mobile apparatus itself as opposed to turning or turning with or without a load?'” Benetton says.
Where mobile equipment operates in the same space as trucks and trailers, it is equally essential to identify potential blind spots and areas of high visibility, as well as to determine whether or not reversing will be permitted in the yard and the yard's traffic direction.
"Sometimes it is preferable to continue in the same direction rather than reverse. Because reversing can enhance the likelihood of striking. Perhaps striking valuable inventory, individuals, or other mobile apparatus. Therefore, consider the travel routes in light of your process flow."
The next step is to identify the tasks that employees will perform and their proximity to equipment and trucks.
Assessing tasks, tackling risks
However, there is no panacea for addressing the risks.
"It is nearly impossible to eliminate all risks to laborers without total automation. Even then, there will be maintenance personnel," says Benetton. Instead, the emphasis is placed on evaluating duties performed in the yard and addressing the associated risks individually.
He describes an occasion when he witnessed workers disassembling a pallet because the load had been damaged during transport. Such events are possible and should be anticipated.
"Even if you designate an exclusion zone, have a barrier area where the forklift enters, drops off the pallet, and then exits," he advises. Workers can then access the area to repack the pallet. You have effectively eliminated the risk associated with that task.
When tackling other foreseen tasks in the workplace, a similar approach should be adopted.
Prioritizing efforts
The entire process of hazard identification and risk assessment can aid in prioritizing efforts.
Benetton, for instance, refers to WorkSafe BC's five risk management measures. Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE) are in ascending order of effectiveness.
In fact, eradicating the risk is always the most efficient course of action.
According to Benetton, several employees have been trapped by trucks in yards over the past few years. In such situations, separating vehicular and pedestrian traffic can eradicate hazards. However, when complete elimination of the hazard is not possible, he advises that managers evaluate the severity of potential damage and injuries and replace the hazard with one that has a lesser impact.
The risk control measures are also not independent. Typically, elimination and substitution are coupled with engineering and administrative controls.
Alternative routes can eliminate the need for employees to move around in an equipment area, allowing them to remain inside the structure. When that is not practicable, concrete barriers or painted lines can be used to define walkways.
Administrative controls
"Thereafter, there is administrative control. Benetton explains that [this includes] scheduling workers so that they do not overlap [or] overlap less with mobile equipment, having secure work procedures, and having schedules — such as scheduled entries, deliveries, etc.
PPE is utilized as the concluding step. Despite the importance of not underestimating the role of PPE in employee safety, a helmet or reflective garment cannot prevent an accident. However, it can increase visibility and reduce injury severity.
"Before considering personal protective equipment, you should consider these other controls: elimination, engineering controls, and administrative controls," he explains. This is the absolute last resort.