Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers

Transcription

1 A guidebook for employers Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers April 2017

2 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. RECOMMENDED RISK CONTROLS 3 Category 1: Stone slabs 3 Category 2: Palletised loads 4 Category 3: Large bulky awkward loads 5 Category 4: Loose packed loads 6 Category 5: Bags and bales 7 Category 6: Mixed loads 8 3. FURTHER INFORMATION 7 4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8 The information presented in this guidebook is intended for general use only. It should not be viewed as a definitive guide to the law, and should be read in conjunction with the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic). Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this guidebook, the advice contained herein may not apply in every zcircumstance. Accordingly, WorkSafe cannot be held responsible, and extends no warranties as to the suitability of the information for your specific circumstances; or actions taken by third parties as a result of information contained in this guidebook. WorkSafe Victoria is a trading name of the Victorian WorkCover Authority. WorkSafe Victoria The information contained in this publication is protected by copyright. The Victorian WorkCover Authority hereby grants a non-exclusive licence in this publication to the recipient on the condition that it is not disseminated for profit. The Victorian WorkCover Authority encourages the free transfer, copying and printing of the information in this publication if such activities support the purpose and intent for which the publication was developed.

3 1. Introduction This guide provides information for employers about risk controls that can be used to eliminate or reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) associated with hazardous manual handling of items in shipping containers and enclosed trailers. It emphasises the importance of taking a thorough look at current work practices to identify potentially hazardous manual handling and, in consultation with employees, develop safe systems of work which will reduce or remove unsafe or unnecessary manual handling. This guide also recognises the opportunity to work with your supply chain to identify and deal with manual handling hazards in your workplace and also theirs. Many of the risk controls outlined here are already being used in workplaces with many companies investing in a range of mechanical aids, some of which appear in this guide. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD): musculoskeletal disorder means an injury, illness or disease that arises in whole or in part from hazardous manual handling, whether occurring suddenly or over a prolonged period, but does not include an injury caused by crushing, entrapment or cutting resulting primarily from the mechanical operation of plant. It is recommended that you take the opportunity to look for ways to work with your supply chain to identify and deal with manual handling hazards in your workplace and also theirs. A way of controlling hazards is to ensure that the most appropriate type of shipping container and packing methods for the relevant type of load have been used. Correct packing practices at the start of the supply chain will assist in safe unpacking at the end of the chain. For example, many companies arrange for their suppliers to provide items on stillages, pallets or slipsheets. This allows items to be packed and unpacked into shipping containers using powered mechanical aids which could provide a cost benefit as well as reducing the risk of injury from manually packing or unpacking items within the Where loose packing is used, ensure the supplier provides information about the packing order so that unpacking can occur without double handling. Employer obligations As an employer, you have a general duty to make your workplace safe, as well as specific duties in relation to hazards such as manual handling. You have a duty to consult with your employees or their health and safety representative (HSR), if any, when implementing a new system of work. For further information see the list at the end of this guide. You must identify any tasks that involve hazardous manual handling. If these tasks pose a risk of musculoskeletal disorder, you must eliminate the risk so far as is reasonably practicable. If the risk cannot be eliminated you must, so far as is reasonably practicable, reduce the risk so far as is reasonably practicable. If it s not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risk, you must reduce the risk by: changing the workplace layout, the workplace environment or the systems of work changing the objects used in the task; or using mechanical aids. If it is still not reasonably practicable to reduce the risk using a higher level control, you may control that risk by providing information, training or instruction to your workers. You must review (and, if necessary, revise) any measures implemented to control risks: before any alteration is made to any thing, process or system of work involving hazardous manual handling, including, for example, a change in the place where that work is undertaken if new or additional information about hazardous manual handling becomes available to you if an occurrence of a musculoskeletal disorder at your workplace is reported by or on behalf of an employee if, for any other reason, the risk control measures do not adequately control the risks after any incident occurs that involves hazardous manual handling after receiving a request from a health and safety representative. WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 1

4 Introduction What are the risks and how are they controlled? Manually packing and unpacking shipping containers involves actions or forces likely to cause a MSD. Manual handling injuries can result from a single incident or from doing the same movements repeatedly over a period of time. The risk of injury associated with packing or unpacking shipping containers is increased by the following activities: repeated lifting of items, particularly those that are above shoulder height or below mid-thigh height lifting and carrying heavy items pushing trolleys or hand pallet jacks on a slope carrying items over long distances adopting awkward postures repeatedly or sustaining them for long periods high or sudden forces. Using this guide The categories in this guide provide you with safe work practices in green, which are preferred and high risk work practices in red, which should be avoided. Practices listed in the amber column may be used as interim measures if it is not reasonably practicable to implement any options from the green sections. This guide should be read in conjunction with other WorkSafe Victoria guidance which details other health and safety risks, such as traffic management, that need to be controlled when unpacking shipping containers to ensure that any new practices do not introduce further risks in the workplace. For further details see the list at the end of this guide. What items are you packing / unpacking? This guide details common load types and provides practical solutions to enable safe packing and unpacking of shipping containers. This is not an exhaustive list of load types but is indicative of the solutions available when packing and unpacking shipping containers. Items that are often packed or unpacked from shipping containers have been loosely grouped into the following categories: stone slabs palletised loads large bulky awkward loads (Items more than 25kg and with one dimension more than 500mm) similar loose packed loads bags and bales mixed loads. WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 2

5 2. Recommended risk controls Category 1: Stone slabs Hazards include: high force, awkward postures and sustained movement from lifting, lowering and handling stone slabs and being crushed by slabs or mobile plant. Green Option 2 (Forklift option) Stone slabs are delivered in stillages in closed top shipping containers. Load restraints are released by a person from outside the shipping The stone slabs are unpacked using a forklift fitted with an attachment that has a footplate and side grabs that allow the entire stillage to be secured and removed from the Open top containers Use crane or forklift with an appropriate jib attachment to pack/unpack stone slabs into open top shipping containers. Restraints that prevent slabs from falling must be applied and removed by a person from each slab from outside the shipping Restraints must be in place before shipping container is moved. Closed top containers Two options are provided for packing and unpacking of slabs from closed top containers. Option 1 (Crane option) Load restraints are applied and removed from each slab by a person from outside the shipping This allows individual slabs to be accessed for mechanical lifting using a gantry or bridge type crane fitted with a vacuum lifter or lifting clamp to unpack stone slabs into L- or A- frames into closed top containers. Nil Amber Red Employees enter the fall shadow of the slab within the shipping container to release or attach the load restraints. Stone slabs are packed/unpacked by hand within the shipping (Packed/unpacked by hand means that items are lifted and carried in or out of the container). WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 3

6 Recommended risk controls Category 2: Palletised loads Hazards include: high force, awkward postures and sustained movement from lifting, lowering and handling palletised loads and from being hit by mobile plant. Green Products are secured (packed and wrapped) onto pallets, slipsheets or stillages and packed into shipping containers by powered mobile plant eliminating the need for manual handling of loads. Note: Review the pallet design your suppliers and your own business are using and consider whether they are a barrier to mechanical unpacking and storage. Some companies have designed their racking so that palletised loads can be put directly into racking Amber Products are securely loaded on pallets or stillages. A hand pallet jack is used to pack or unpack lightweight palletised loads from the shipping container on level ground only. Red Moving unstable loads on pallets using hand pallet jack. Handling pallets with weights exceeding the capacity of the pallet jack. Remember: The lifting capacity of a hand pallet jack refers to the weight of goods that can be lifted and not to the starting force to get it moving. One model of hand pallet jack loaded with 2300 kg reported a starting force of 45 kg whereas a different model only required 15 kg for the same load. Powered mobile plant including forklift, ride on pallet jack, electric tug and walkie stacker fitted with tynes, slipsheet or grab attachments are used to unpack the palletised load from the shipping Note: An ergonomically designed pallet jack loaded to its rated load will have a starting force not exceeding 21kg-f, a rolling force not exceeding 12kg-f, and an emergency stopping force not exceeding 36kg-f on a flat level surface. WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 4

7 Recommended risk controls Category 3: Large bulky awkward loads These include items such as whitegoods, electrical goods and furniture. The packages may be of individual items or may be multiple packages loaded onto a pallet, skid pallet or slip sheeted. Hazards include: high force, awkward postures and sustained movement from lifting, lowering, and handling large bulky awkward loads and being hit by falling loads or mobile plant. Green Large bulky awkward products and loads are secured onto pallets, skids, slipsheets or other equivalents permitting packing of shipping containers by powered mobile plant eliminating the need for manual handling of loads. Amber Option 1 A hand pallet jack of suitable capacity is used to move the large bulky awkward load on pallets or skids on level ground only with loads that are well below the safe working load of the hand pallet jack. Single items on their own skid may be handled on level ground using a suitable hand truck. Option 2 A team of people handle the large bulky awkward load onto a suitable trolley and wheel it on level ground. A platform ladder is used to reach products near the top of the Option 3 Team handling of large bulky awkward load onto height adjustable extendable conveyor from the shipping The conveyor is raised to allow operators working in teams to reach products near the top of the Red Powered mobile plant including forklift, electric tug and walkie stacker fitted with tynes, slipsheet or grab attachments are used to unpack the load from the shipping Large bulky awkward products are manually handled inside the (Manually handled means that items are lifted, carried, pushed, pulled or held by one person or a team and carried to a pallet or into or out of the container). Handling products whose weights exceed the capacity of the pallet jack. Note: An ergonomically designed pallet jack loaded to its rated load will have a starting force not exceeding 21kg-f, a rolling force not exceeding 12kg-f, and an emergency stopping force not exceeding 36kg-f on a flat level surface. Employees climb onto products within the container to reach those at the top of the container without being advised by the supplier or customer that the products can take the weight of a person without collapsing. WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 5

8 Recommended risk controls Category 4: Loose packed loads These loads include products packaged in small cartons, crates or boxes. Hazards include: high force, awkward postures and sustained movement from lifting, lowering, and handling large bulky awkward loads and being hit by falling loads. Green Products are on pallets, slip sheets or stillages and packed into shipping containers using powered mobile plant eliminating the need for manual handling of loads. Powered mobile plant including forklift, electric tug and walkie stacker fitted with unloading tynes, slipsheet or grab attachments are used to unpack the load from the shipping Multi-product types Each product type is manually handled within the shipping container using a height adjustable extendable conveyor. Heavy products are handled within the container using a vacuum lifter or other device associated with a height adjustable extendable conveyor. Outside the container, products are loaded or removed from the conveyor using a vacuum lift or other similar device onto pallets or directly into storage. Mechanical handling aids such as pallet lifter and turntable, vacuum lifter and mechanical grabs are used to assist with handling products onto and off the conveyor. Amber Products are manually loaded or unloaded until mechanical handling aids can be brought into the shipping Option 1 An appropriate hand pallet jack, or trolley is used to move the load in the shipping container on level ground only. Option 2: Multi-product types Products are manually unloaded from the shipping container onto a gravity conveyor. Heavy products are team lifted onto an extendable conveyor within the shipping Products are then removed from the conveyor using a team lift or by sliding them onto pallets raised by a height adjustable pallet lifter / turntable. Products must have been sequentially packed into the container so that the same product type can be placed onto the conveyor and unloaded onto one pallet outside the Option 3: Multi product types Compact products are manually loaded/unloaded onto a height adjustable pallet lifter / turntable (e.g. scissor lift table or spring loaded pallet positioner) inside the shipping container and manually wrapped before being removed by powered mobile plant or a hand pallet jack. Products must have been sequentially stacked into the container so that the same product type can be placed onto one pallet within the A platform ladder is used to reach top layers in the Red Products are loose packed into a shipping container (unpalletised) or are unpacked from the shipping container by hand frequently. Shipping containers with different loose packed products are unpacked by hand daily. (Unpacked by hand means that items are lifted and carried out of the container then placed onto a pallet for storage or transport by an employee or contractor). Once carried out of the shipping container, products are placed onto a pallet on the ground/ below thigh level for storage or transport. WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 6

9 Recommended risk controls Category 5: Bags and bales Bags and bales are potentially unstable loads due to their contents (eg grain) being fluid-like if bags are not tightly packed. Hazards include: high force, awkward postures and sustained movement from lifting, lowering, and handling large bulky awkward loads and being hit by falling loads. Green Bags and bales are on pallets, slip sheets or stillages and packed into and out of shipping containers using powered mechanical aids eliminating the need for manual handling of loads. Large bulk bags with lifting points or bales are packed into open containers using cranes or powered mobile plant with jib attachments to sling and pack these products into and out of closed containers. Amber Option 1 Bags and bales are wrapped onto pallets, slipsheets, stillages or skids within the An appropriate hand pallet jack is only used and pushed on level ground only with loads that are well below the safe working load of the hand pallet jack. Option 2: Multi product loads Products are manually handled in the shipping container using an extendable gravity conveyor. A platform ladder should be used to reach top layers in the Mechanical handling aids such as pallet lifter and turntable, vacuum lifter and mechanical grabs are used to assist with handling products from the conveyor. Option 3: Single product type Bags weighing no more than 25kg are unpacked directly onto height adjustable pallet lifter/turntable inside the shipping container manually and removed from the container by powered pallet jack. Bags must have been sequentially packed into the container so that the same product type can be placed onto one pallet within the A platform ladder is used to reach top layers in the Red Powered mobile plant including forklift, electric tug and walkie stacker fitted with tynes, slipsheet, bale clamp, jib or grab attachments are used to pack and unpack bags and bales on pallets, slipsheets or stillages from the shipping Loose bags and bales are packed/unpacked using a vacuum lifter or other device onto a height adjustable extendable conveyor within the shipping Bales are handled by plate fork attachment or hooked onto forklift tynes. Products are handled from the conveyor using a vacuum lift or other mechanical device to lift them onto pallets raised by height adjustable turntable lifters. The conveyor infeed raises persons to reach items at the top of the Bags and bales are loose packed into a shipping container or are unpacked from the shipping container by hand frequently. Once carried out of the shipping container, products are placed onto a pallet on the ground for storage or transport. Regular manual lifting of bags or bales that exceed 25kg in weight. Shipping containers with different loose packed bags are unpacked by hand daily. (Unpacked by hand means that items are lifted and carried out of the container then placed onto a pallet for storage or transport by an employee or contractor). Employees climb onto loose packed bags or bales within the container to reach the loads at the top of the container without the supplier or customer advising that these items can take the weight of a person without collapsing. WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 7

10 Recommended risk controls Category 6: Mixed loads A mixed load may include the following types of loads: products packaged in small cartons, crates or boxes; larger items e.g. white goods or flat packs; sacks and bags; and irregular shaped items. Hazards include: high force and awkward postures and sustained movement from lifting, lowering, and handling loads, and being hit by falling objects Green Small cartons of mixed loads are stacked on pallets, slipsheets, skids or stillages while larger items, capable of being handled by forklift, are mechanically packed or unpacked from the Mechanical packing and unpacking of products eliminates the need for manual handling of loads. Work with your suppliers to consolidate loads from multiple vendors and load shipping containers to enable mechanical removal of mixed load items. Loose conveyable products are manually unpacked from the shipping container using a height adjustable extendable conveyor. Mechanical handling aids such as pallet lifter and turntable, vacuum lifter and mechanical grabs are used to assist with unloading products onto and off the conveyor. Amber Loose products are manually unloaded until mechanical handling aids can be brought into the shipping container to unpack it. Option 1: Palletised loads Small cartons of mixed loads are delivered on pallets and large items are on skids. A powered pallet jack is used to remove the pallets or skids. An appropriate hand pallet jack is only used and pushed on level ground only with loads that are well below the safe working load of the hand pallet jack. Option 2: Multi-product loads Small loose products are manually unloaded from the shipping container using an extendable conveyor onto raised pallets outside the A platform ladder should be used to reach top layers in the Once smaller items are removed from the mixed load, powered mobile plant including forklift, electric tug, and walkie stacker fitted with unloading tynes, slipsheet or grab attachments is used to unpack the larger items. Red Cartons, crates, bags and larger items are handled in the shipping container by lifting and carrying the items by hand. Shipping containers with different loose packed products are packed or unpacked by hand daily. (Packed or unpacked by hand means that items are lifted and carried in or out of the container and placed onto a pallet for storage or transport by an employee or contractor). Employees climb onto loose packed cartons/products within the container to reach the loads at the top of the container without being advised by the supplier or customer that the cartons/products can take the weight of a person without collapsing. WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 8

11 3. Further information Acts and Regulations Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 Hazardous Manual Handling Compliance Code 2017 WorkSafe Victoria Publications Manual Handling: Packing and unpacking shipping containers, 2016 Unloading stone slabs from containers, 2013 Using equipment to access stock, 2012 A guide to Handling large, bulky or awkward items, Edition 2, 2012 Forklift safety reducing the risk, 2006 A guide for Victorian workplaces Consultation, 2011 Unpacking shipping containers, 2010 Fumigated shipping containers Venting prior to unpacking (by end user), 2009 Fumigated shipping containers Clearance of methyl bromide (by fumigators), 2009 Handling empty pallets, 2009 Stretchwrapping pallets, 2009 Slip-sheets or pallets ease packing and unpacking of shipping containers, Edition 3, 2009 Pallets Loading and unloading items using automation, 2009 Pallets unloading items using a bulk delivery method, 2009 Pallets preventing handling above shoulder height, 2009 Forklifts Developing a traffic management plan, 2009 Pallets loading and unloading items using vacuum lifters, 2008 Pallets loading and unloading, 2008 Working safely with containers, Edition No.1, 2008 Forklifts - Developing a traffic management plan, 2009 WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 9

12 4. Acknowledgements WorkSafe Victoria would like to acknowledge the contribution of Mission Foods to this publication. WorkSafe Victoria Guide to preventing injury from packing and unpacking shipping containers and enclosed trailers 10

13 WorkSafe Victoria WorkSafe Agents Agent contact details are all available at worksafe.vic.gov.au/agents Advisory Service Phone (03) Toll-free Head Office 222 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 3000 Phone (03) Toll-free Website worksafe.vic.gov.au For information about WorkSafe in your own language, call our Talking your Language service WorkSafe Victoria is a trading name of the Victorian WorkCover Authority WSV1750/01/04.17