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Bazzer  
#1 Posted : 24 October 2019 15:10:34(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Bazzer

A client has just moved into a new warehouse; we are in the process of developing a workplace transport plan.

I would like to phyically segregate palletising operations where guys re-pack pallets, shrink wrap them and prepare them for transport. Pallets are brought to and removed from the area by FLT's but any movement within the area is by pallet truck or powered pallet truck (the client feels this will restrict and slow down the operation)

In other areas FLTs fitted with red and blue warning lights, pedestrians wear hi-vis, but these areas are limited to pedestrians. (client says the guys are aware of the FLT's and feel this is not necessary). I would also like to close racking aisles if a pedestrian in working in one (this is a no no to the client, as he says the guys are not daft and this is not necessary)

Visitors or office staff can enter the warehouse, by using the main walkway (which is marked) but at one point they need to cross a gap of approx 25m to reach the warehouse office which is a busy FLT area, and pallet holding area. The client has proposed the vsitor presses a button, which sounds a bell which warns warehouse personnel a stranger is entering the area; I feel this is unacceptable, and will place the pedestrian at significant risk of being hit by a FLT. I would prefer a walkway and visitors being met and accompanied, which the client is resisting.

All suggestions welcome

MrBrightside  
#2 Posted : 24 October 2019 15:44:36(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
MrBrightside

In an ideal world FLT's and pedestrians would be nicely segreated with a walkway and some lovely barriers, however this can often be impracticle in a Warehouse environments and more often than not, pedestrians need to go down the same aisles as FLT's (not high bay order picker truck aisles tho, that would never end well).

In regards to you prep area, the set up you mention is how most operations would run, if the people doing the packing are not operating the FLT's. The other option is having some fixed roller beds which the FLT's load and unload, but that would come at a cost.

The picking aisles would depend on the width of the aisles and types of trucks operating in them. In an ideal would shut them off, but in some Warehouse the only pedestrian routes can be through these aisles.

The Visitors being able to enter the Warehouse would be the biggest worry for me.

thanks 1 user thanked MrBrightside for this useful post.
Bazzer on 28/10/2019(UTC)
John Carver  
#3 Posted : 24 October 2019 18:26:24(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
John Carver

"I would also like to close racking aisles if a pedestrian in working in one (this is a no no to the client, as he says the guys are not daft and this is not necessary)".

My experiences surround racking aisles being used by counterbalance or very narrow aisle (VNA) forklift trucks, including those thucks where a person is lifted to retrive goods from racking.

In those cases the risk assessments and work instructions contained controls that excluded any pedestrians in those areas while the trucks were being operated.

In practice, this was acheived by the use of chains that were extended across the ends of the aisles by the truck operator. I have to say, the practice worked well and no safety incidents were recorded.

Allowing both machines and pedestrians to work alongside each other in a space restricted area such as racking aises is a recipe for disaster, particulrly from reversing trucks and goods falling from height, which is not uncommon within industry.

Edited by user 24 October 2019 18:27:43(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

thanks 2 users thanked John Carver for this useful post.
SJP on 25/10/2019(UTC), Bazzer on 28/10/2019(UTC)
CptBeaky  
#4 Posted : 25 October 2019 07:33:21(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
CptBeaky

All your suggestions are reasonable.

The shutting off of aisles is a must if they are used by VNAs. The view is much more restricted in these sorts of trucks, espcially when they are raised.

Your client has far too much faith in people. If everyone only did what was expected then we would have only a fraction of the accidents we currently have.

thanks 3 users thanked CptBeaky for this useful post.
SJP on 25/10/2019(UTC), Bazzer on 28/10/2019(UTC), farrell1 on 02/11/2019(UTC)
Bazzer  
#5 Posted : 28 October 2019 11:30:58(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Bazzer

Thanks everyone; glad my proposals are not "over the top" as my client thinks. I now have to get them to accept the proposals, which will be the difficult part. Also the aisles are used by atricualted VNA's, and the width of the aisles have been reduced in this new warehouse from the present one, but the height has increased by at least two if not three pallet heights, the reason why they are fitting auto fork lift stop facility and cameras on the trucks

Bazzer  
#6 Posted : 31 October 2019 10:47:25(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Bazzer

I have been looking ay Reg 17 of the workplace regulations, and in particular 17(5) which states
Paragraph (2) of Regulation 17 shall apply so far as is reasonably practicable, to a workplace which is not a new workplace, a modification, an extension or a conversion
So am I right in saying that because this is a new warehouse buidling, reasonably practicable does not apply to the requirements of Reg 17, in particular segregation

CptBeaky  
#7 Posted : 31 October 2019 11:39:18(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
CptBeaky

Originally Posted by: Bazzer Go to Quoted Post

I have been looking ay Reg 17 of the workplace regulations, and in particular 17(5) which states
Paragraph (2) of Regulation 17 shall apply so far as is reasonably practicable, to a workplace which is not a new workplace, a modification, an extension or a conversion
So am I right in saying that because this is a new warehouse buidling, reasonably practicable does not apply to the requirements of Reg 17, in particular segregation

That is correct. It has to have been done from the start, or in the case of extensions/modifications planned into the design. That is to say you can NOT get away with stating it wasn't reasonably practicable. Remember these regs came out in 1992, so that removes "reasonably practicable" from most warehouses etc.

At least that is my understanding of it.

John Carver  
#8 Posted : 02 November 2019 14:05:03(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
John Carver

Originally Posted by: CptBeaky Go to Quoted Post

That is correct. It has to have been done from the start, or in the case of extensions/modifications planned into the design. That is to say you can NOT get away with stating it wasn't reasonably practicable. Remember these regs came out in 1992, so that removes "reasonably practicable" from most warehouses etc.

At least that is my understanding of it.

I agree. The regulations should have been considered at the building design stage. On this topic, particularly that persuant to regulation 17(1). 

Hsquared14  
#9 Posted : 04 November 2019 12:02:41(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Hsquared14

What you are suggesting is entirely reasonable.  It won't slow things down much and will significantly improve safety within the warehouse.  I just wish our warehouse had been planned with segregation in mind, I'm living with a legacy design which now can't be changed and I'm constantly worried about not being able to phyisically separate pedestrians from vehicles, our only saving grace is that there are relatively few internal vehicles operating.

https://press.hse.gov.uk/2019/11/01/haulage-company-fined-after-worker-injured-by-moving-vehicle/ 

Found this HSE press release, looks very similar to your situation and is one you should take note of and show to your client.  I think he is treading on really dangerous ground.

Edited by user 04 November 2019 13:11:54(UTC)  | Reason: Found HSE presss release that is relevant to the post.

Smudger207  
#10 Posted : 07 November 2019 19:06:51(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Smudger207

https://toyota-forklifts.eu/why-toyota/about-us/news-and-editorials/spotme---warning-system-for-a-safer-workplace/

Was at a safety event a few weeks back and a company were looking into a system similair to the link above. Technology is out there that can warn the forklift operators of pedestrains/workers within a 10m radius and also further alarms if they come within 5m. 

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