I am currently completing a risk assessment for traffic movement in a small warehouse. First and foremost I should state that such a risk assessment has never been carried out before even though the company has been running for well over 5 years. The organisation does not have a designated h&s person and I am only here in a work experience capacity, hence why they are a little bit behind the times in terms of what is acceptable.
The problem is space....and a severe lack of it! Even though they only have 1 FLT and about 7/8 staff who work in the warehouse area, I have observed several instances in the short time I have been there that come close to being classified as near misses.
The company has taken on more work which means more materials coming into an already cramped warehouse which has meant that materials are now being stored next to the racking as opposed to on it, which in turn means that the once established pedestrian route painted green has now also become the FLT route used for taking deliveries. There are no turning circles for the FLT so its a case of either forward or reverse and because of the lack of space the FLT is parked in an area of the factory where there is the highest concentration of staff at work.
After reviewing the accident book there are no reported instances where anyone has been injured due to a collision with a FLT but that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future.

After raising my concerns with the warehouse manager who sympathises with my concerns, he doesn't think there is an obvious solution apart from re-organising the whole warehouse which he doesn't think is practical and I'm struggling to come up with anything either. Does anyone have experience of similar situations or possible solutions/suggestions?

Many thanks

Difficult to say much without being able to see the area so I will limit myself to generalities.

1) It sounds like there was a traffic management system but it has broken down due to increased throughput and lack of space. Home in on what was originally in place and see if you can bring it back if it was adequate. It could be that more space needs to be rented or someone needs to say no to the increased work. That is ultimately a management decision, you can only recommend.

2) Formalise your concerns in writing and refer to HSE guidance. HSG76 and INDG199 are good places to start and can be found for free on the HSE website.

3) If the warehouse is part of a bigger organisation then encourage the warehouse manager to raise his concerns further up the line. As you know, this is a serious problem and needs to be understood at a senior level. A serious accident could involve personal prosecution of senior people as well as massive cost and disruption to the company. There are plenty of prosecution reports on the web that show what can happen to companies and individuals when issues like this are not dealt with.

Hope this helps.

Interesting thread, sounds like they need someone with authority responsible for health and safety.

I wonder if, apart from the storage issues, the FLT management has also broken down?

Is it electric, where does it charge?
Is is LPG, where are the cylinders stored?
Is it diesel, fuel pump ?

Fire risk assessment should have these in hand.

...... warehouse management in place....

Thank you for your suggestions....

Having spoken with the quality manager who has up until now assumed some sort of responsibility for h&s, he believes that what is being done currently is "reasonably practicable", i.e all staff who use the FLT are fully licensed, their training is up to date, the FLT has a maximum speed restriction of 5mph. He firmly believes that considering the size of the warehouse which is roughly 400 square metres there is no need to create more space so that warehouse traffic and staff could be segregated. And should I approach the managing director he believes that the answer would be the same, inevitably it would come down to the cost involved and that it wouldn't be justified.

Maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill and I fully appreciate that because I don't hold a position as such within the organisation and relatively inexperienced, maybe I'm overstating the scale of the problem. But nevertheless I feel that I should approach the MD, use some of the advise that has been given here and see where that gets me.....

dear all , what i know the the FLT must have a restricted area , for workers and whene FLT is working people must be awy from it , beside the FLT must have a singage pinted on the road .
abdul

Suggest you compile a report with suggested improvements based on HSE Guides referenced in this thread, compliance with those will usually demonstrate legal compliance.

There is no absolute requirement for FLT / pedestrian segregation. FLT usually have audible and visual warning signals and those can often be improved, as could mirrors. Additional parabolic mirrors at rack ends. Improved trolleys. Hi-viz workwear - no exceptions! barrows to prevent vision being obscured by armfuls of goods. Training, instruction, inspections, maintenance. Improved lighting. Absolute requirement for safe egress routes to be kept clear.

A lot of little things that will keep the wheels of industry turning and keep people safe.

That said, I do wonder if the Company Insurers would be interested in a significant increased stock holding...................