Page 26 - OHS, October 2021

TRAINING: MATERIALS HANDLING
mechanical aids are available, material handlers who are not properly trained still use inappropriate lifting methods and move items that are too bulky, heavy or awkward for one person to lift.
Back injuries are the most common type of sprain or strain. More than 111,000 back injuries occur each year with an average recovery time of 57 days per injury, according to the National Safety Council.
Provide appropriate ergonomic training that focuses on proper lifting techniques for the types of materials that they will be handling, including lifting over the shoulders, placing objects below knee level and handling oversized loads. Incorporating daily warmup or stretching programs before each shift can also help to minimize sprain and strain injuries.
Slips, Trips and Falls
Packing materials, strapping, debris, uneven floor surfaces and spilled liquids all contribute to slips, trips and falls to the same level. In addition to sprains and strains, slips, trips and falls can also cause bruises, cuts, muscle tears and fractures.
Some issues, such as uneven floor surfaces may require maintenance or construction work to repair and eliminate a floor safety hazard. However, most slip, trip and fall injuries in material handling areas can be eliminated by implementing good housekeeping procedures.
Good housekeeping training may include policies for keeping aisles clear, ensuring that boxes, bins and containers are fully in racking systems, sweeping work areas, cleaning up spills immediately and placing spent packing materials in trash cans or recycling bins. Providing all necessary tools to perform good housekeeping tasks and making them readily available in work areas helps to reinforce this training.
Cuts and Punctures
Almost 200 material handlers experience reportable cut injuries every day. That number does not include cuts that only require on-site first aid. Removing strapping from baled items, cutting through tape to open boxes and snipping rope or wire are likely to be necessary functions that cannot be eliminated from job tasks. Substituting cutting tools with retractable blades and providing cut-resistant gloves can help to reduce these injuries.
Most punctures among material handlers can be attributed to using staple or nail guns, removing staples and grazing loose wood splinters on skids and crate. Like cuts, the 17,620 reported
punctures each year does not include punctures that only require on-site first aid.
When tools are familiar, it can be easy to overlook training on how to use them properly. However, there are dozens of ways to incorrectly use cutting tools and securing devices. Even tape guns and handheld paper staplers can cause cut and puncture injuries.
Employees who will operate forklifts need to demonstrate safe driving skills. There must be training for material handlers on how to use the cutting and security tools that they will be using every day correcting and requiring them to demonstrate proper usage.
Inflammation and Fractures
Forklifts overturning cause about 24 percent of injuries to material handlers, often resulting in fractures and muscle inflammation. Colliding with objects, being caught between objects and getting caught in moving parts such as conveyor belts make up much of the balance of the 85,710 inflammation and fracture injuries material handlers experienced in 2019.
The injuries typically cause workers to miss 78 to 91 days from work while recovering. Clearly, training that only includes someone screaming, “Pay Attention!” or “Slow Down!” is not going to be enough to prevent these injuries and the lost work time.
Identifying hazardous locations and training employees to recognize how they can be injured in those areas is more effective. Posting signs also serves as a reminder to maintain awareness in each area.
Temperature Extremes
Failing to account for temperature extremes in material handling settings contributes to almost 17,000 exposure injuries and illnesses annually. Even though a majority of material handling operations occur indoors, many material handling areas are not climate controlled.
Hot temperatures and humidity cause exhaustion more quickly than moderate temperatures do. This can lead to poor decision making and a greater likelihood of muscle injuries. It also makes workers more susceptible to heat illnesses such as heat cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Cold temperatures decrease flexibility. Stiffness in muscles can decrease coordination and increase the likelihood of muscle and joint injuries. The risk of cold injuries, such as hypothermia and frostbite also increase.
22 Occupational Health & Safety | OCTOBER 2021
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