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Employees usually move materials through the warehouse on pallet jacks.
A pallet is placed on the Pallet Jack and merchandise is removed from a storage area
called a slot or pick bin, then placed on the pallet. Many of these loads, especially in
refrigerated or freezer warehouses, are extremely heavy. Weights upwards
of 80 to 100 pounds are not uncommon.
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View Animation
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Potential
Hazards:
- Employees repeatedly bend forward at the
waist to place boxes on the lowest
level of pallets (Fig. 1).
- The heaviest units are placed on the bottom layer for stability. This work process
requires employees to lift the heaviest loads
using the worst body postures.
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Fig. 1:
Bending required to reach boxes.
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Possible
Solutions:
- Raise the height of the bottom level to allow employees to keep the load
close to the body (Fig.
2). This will minimize bending of the torso.
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Fig. 2:
Use of a forklift raises
the height of the boxes.
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- Provide height-adjustable picking equipment
(Fig. 3) so loads can be maintained at a height that
minimizes bending at the waist. This pallet jack
raises up to 10 inches, while many others raise eight inches or
less.
- Educate employees about the hazards of bending while moving
heavy loads. Ensure the use of
proper lifting techniques.
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Fig. 3:
Pallet jack with higher
than normal fork elevation.
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- Stack extra empty pallets on the pallet jack to
elevate the bottom of the load (Fig. 4).
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Fig. 4:
Stacked pallets elevate the load.
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- Place a palletizer on the forks of the pallet jack to keep product at waist height (Fig. 5).
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Fig.
5:
A palletizer on a Pallet Jack.
View Animation
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- When possible, utilize power equipment rather than manual to reduce ergonomic stresses.
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| Back belts:
The effectiveness of back belts in reducing the risk of back
injury among heal workers remains unproven. If workers
falsely believe they are protected when wearing
belts, they may attempt to lift more than they
would without a belt. This poses a risk of injury to the
worker (See
Back belts:
Do They Prevent Injury? (DHHS) (NIOSH) Publication
No. 94-127). |
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Potential
Hazards:
- Over long periods of time the solid rubber wheels of pallet jacks and forklifts can develop flat spots resulting in unstable loads and poor handling. Employees can experience stress to the hands and arms from difficulty in steering and stopping.
- Worn floors create ruts and bumps.
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Possible Solutions:
- Provide periodic maintenance of pallet jacks and fork lifts so they can operate with the minimum amount of hand, arm, and finger force.
- Provide training to Selectors so they recognize the
early signs of mechanical breakdown. This will allow
them to report problems or difficulties with the
machine before the problems lead to injury.
- Keep floors well maintained (e.g. no ruts or bumps)
to reduce force when using
manual materials handling equipment and whole body
vibration/shock from driven equipment.
For more information, refer to the following:
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