News
Warehouse & Factory Safety Solutions
As we move another year on towards 2020 it is a shameful fact that accidents in the workplace remain a major concern across the whole gamut of industries in the UK. The HSE has recently published statistics for 2016/17 and it shows there is much work still to do in the pursuit of safe working environments.
Key figures for Great Britain (2016/17)
- 3 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
- 2,542 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2015)
- 137 workers killed at work
- 609,000 injuries occurred at work according to the Labour Force Survey
- 70,116 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
- 2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
- £14.9 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2015/16)
In a warehouse and factory environment there are some very simple solutions to many of the injuries and accidents that happen each year. It is of great importance that such solutions are implemented post-haste and not procrastinated over. It should be the New Year resolution of warehouse and factory owners and managers the country over to have a good look at the safety of their industrial or warehouse buildings and the surrounding areas and make sure that they have done all they can to safeguard employees. Let’s take a look at 3 of the key ways in which safety in warehouses and factories can be boosted
Fire Safety Doors
Fires in warehouses and factories are always a risk due to the nature not only of operations but of the sorts of materials (often flammable) that are usually present in the buildings. Owing to this it is vital that the rooms that pose the greatest risk are fitted with steel fire safety doors. Fire safety doors are rated with a ‘T’ and a number, like 30 or 60. This provides information as to the amount of time (T) that you have in minutes before the safety door surrenders to the fire. Obviously a higher number door offer more time and greater technology.
Pallet Racking Protectors
Heavy Duty Pallet Racking Protectors serve to protect vulnerable pallet uprights and end frames, that are often subject to bumps and bangs from fork lifts. High visibility racking protectors are the best and can also be flexible in that they can be used to protect machine guards and concrete columns. Ensuring that racking protectors are fitted will not only save on costly repairs and potential damage to stock but can also prevent many accidents in the workplace and also help businesses to comply with health and safety regulations.
Safety Barriers
Safety barriers and crash protection posts are perfectly suited to the warehouse and factory environment as they can protect pedestrians and other workers as well as valuable racking from forklift crashes, machinery, falling loads or other moving vehicles. The best ones are also high visibility as prevention of crashes is, of course the primary objective. Many are self-adhesive and magnetic and are relatively inexpensive and require very minimal installation and maintenance.
John Hinds