Preventing falling materials through safe stacking and storage

So far as is reasonably practicable, suitable and effective measures must be taken to prevent any event involving falls or falling objects.

Stored materials must not create a hazard for employees. Employers should make workers aware of factors such as the height and weight of the materials, how easy they are to reach, and the condition of the containers when they stack and pile materials. To avoid creating hazards when storing materials, employers must:

• keep storage areas free from accumulated materials that cause tripping, fires or explosions, or that may give shelter to rats and other pests
• place stored materials inside buildings under construction at a sufficient distance from walkways or floor openings
• separate incompatible materials
• prevent workers walking on, walking down or working beneath bridged grain or other unstable bulk material. Avoid entry, isolate hazardous energy and material flows, and obtain a specialist assessed method and rescue arrangements where entry is unavoidable; a belt or lifeline does not make engulfment safe
• not store materials under power lines or where they may block exits or emergency equipment
• not use storage areas for other tasks such as welding and grinding
• make sure the ground is level and stable

Workers should also consider putting bound material on racks and securing it by stacking, blocking or interlocking, to stop it sliding, falling or collapsing.

Stacking materials can be dangerous if workers do not follow safety guidelines. Falling materials and collapsing loads can crush or pin workers, causing injury or death. To help prevent injuries when stacking materials, workers must:

• determine the stack height for both manual and forklift handling
• remove all nails from used timber before stacking
• build every stack vertically
• stack and level on solidly supported bracing
• make sure stacks are stable and self-supporting
• not stack directly on the ground
• not store pipes and bars in racks that face main aisles, so that nobody walking past is put at risk when supplies are removed
• band boxed materials, or secure them with cross-ties or shrink plastic
• stack drums and barrels symmetrically
• block the bottom tiers of drums and barrels stored on their sides, to keep them from rolling

Summary notes for Element 8 · Cheat sheet · Glossary. A study aid, not published or endorsed by NEBOSH.