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 Home Health and Safety Health and Safety News
Keep things safe! - new HSE guidance on H&S in warehouses
30 November 2007
The HSE has published updated guidance on health and safety in warehouses and storage with the simple message 'Ignoring health and safety just doesn't stack up'.
The guidance has been produced by the warehousing health and safety forum, on which Usdaw is represented. It updates guidance that was first produced 15 years ago. The earlier guidance 'Health and safety in retail and wholesale warehouses' had become recognised as the industry standard but was getting dated and had been out of print for some time. The new guidance is designed to be as comprehensive in its coverage and to focus attention on the priority topics for the sector.
There are sections on:
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General health, safety and welfare issues such as consultation with workers and safety reps, managing occupational health, environment and welfare, slips and trips and accidents and emergencies.
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Materials handling issues such as manual handling, use of mechanical handling equipment. workplace transport and work at height.
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Storage systems such as pallets and cages, racking systems, automated systems, temperature controlled storage and storage of dangerous goods.
The guidance HSG76 2nd Edition 'Warehousing and storage: A guide to health and safety' costs £14.50 from HSE Books. For ordering details please go to www.hse.gov.uk/warehousing/. Usdaw reps who work in warehousing and distribution should ask their employer about ordering copies and making them available. If there is a learning centre in the warehouse, it would be good to order a couple of copies for the learning centre library.
In addition to the priced guidance document the HSE has also produced a free leaflet 'Warehousing and storage: Keep it safe', IND412. This is much shorter and contains basic advice on the common hazards in the industry. Click here to view a copy. Any Usdaw rep who wants a copy of the leaflet can order one from healthandsafety@usdaw.org.uk
There are over 10,000 reported accidents in the sector every year. Slips and trips, manual handling, falls from height and collision with workplace vehicles can result in serious injury. Shift work, temperature extremes and repetitive handling can cause work-related ill health. But these risks can be prevented and controlled. The HSE guidance shows how this can be done.
Contact Details
Health and Safety section
Ph: 0161 249 2441
Fax: 0161 249 2475
Email: healthandsafety@usdaw.org.uk
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