Materials Handling, Hand and Power Tools, and Welding and Cutting

4.1 Materials Handling and Storage

Two main hazards arise in handling and storing materials: bulk and weight. Lifting heavy and bulky objects often causes back and spine injuries, and workers who do this often suffer acute and chronic back pain.

Preventing injury

A worker who must lift by hand must ask for help when a load is:

• too bulky to grasp and lift properly
• so bulky that they cannot see round or over it
• otherwise unsafe for one person to handle

Use mechanical equipment for heavy loads, and never overload it. Every type has a maximum weight rating, and the choice of equipment must match the load.

Ergonomics says that jobs should be fitted to the person and not the person to the job. Good ergonomic design gives the best environment for the worker and for productivity.

Aisles and passageways

Leave enough clearance for the mechanical movement of materials, particularly at loading docks, through doorways and wherever a turn is needed. Clearance prevents workers from being pinned and loads from striking obstructions and falling. Keep aisles and passages free of obstructions and tripping hazards, and never store material in them.

Conveyors

The hazards are hands caught where the conveyor runs over supports, people struck by falling material where it passes over a work area, and people caught and drawn into the conveyor.

Cranes

Only qualified, competent persons may operate cranes. The operator must know the weight of every load. A crane has a rated capacity that depends on the boom length and the radius.

Powered industrial trucks

New powered industrial trucks, such as forklifts and fork trucks, must meet the design and construction requirements of the national standard, and carry a mark showing that a nationally accepted testing laboratory has inspected and accepted them. Operators must be trained and evaluated.

A study aid, not published or endorsed by IOSH or OSHA. Laws and limits differ between countries.