Safe Stacking & Storage Training

Course Outline

Introduction
Training Objectives
Material Handling
Injuries
Material Handling Equipment
Material Storage
Safe Stacking Techniques
Personal Protective Equipment
 Introduction

Whatever the nature of your

business, it is likely to involve
the stacking and storage of
goods and materials.
Every year accidents occur
while goods are being stacked
or de-stacked and put into or
taken out of storage. Many of
these accidents are serious—
some are fatal.
 Introduction

There is an enormous variety of storage

systems and stacking methods in use today.
Materials handling equipment, too, is
extremely diverse, ranging from hand
trolleys through various types of forklift truck
to sophisticated warehouse robots.

Forklift truck:

Hand truck

Platform truck
Training Objectives

This booklet is designed to help employers

and employees to develop safe and effective
methods for stacking and storage and so
meet their obligations under health and
safety legislation.
Material Handling
Materials handling is conducted in every
department, warehouse, office, or facility of
a company.
Material Handling
Materials handling is a job
that is performed by
almost every worker in the
workforce as sole duty or
part of regular work and
either by hand or with
mechanical help.
On an average, industry
moves about 45 tons of
material for each ton of
product produced.
Material Handling
Mechanized
materials-handling
equipment is
commonly used in
many industries for
assisting with
materials handling
and storage due to
higher efficiency and
productivity at lower
cost.
Material Handling
Although mechanical handling creates a new
set of hazards, the net result (without efficiency
benefit) is fewer injuries, lower workers’
compensation expenses, and a more
productive workplace.
Material Handling – General rules
Sufficient safe clearances shall be allowed for
aisles, at loading docks, through doorways and
wherever turns or passage must be made.

Aisles and passageways shall be kept clear and

in good repair, with no obstruction across or in
aisles that could create a hazard.
Material Handling – General rules
Permanent aisles and passageways shall be
appropriately marked.
Storage of material shall not create a hazard.
Preventing Common Injuries
Handling of material accounts for 20% to 45% of
all occupational injuries.
Injuries can occur in any part of the operation,
not limited to stockroom or warehouse.
Strains, sprains, fractures, and contusions are
the most common form of injuries resulting.
Materials Handling Injuries
To gain insight into the injuries caused by
materials handling, the safety professional
should consider the following:
 Can the job be engineered to eliminate or reduce
manual handling?
 Can the material be conveyed or moved
mechanically?
 Would training and more effective management help
reduce injuries?
 Would protective clothing prevent injuries?
 Can employees be given handling aids?
Materials Handling Injuries

All of these questions serve as a start for an

overall assessment of injuries caused by
materials handling.
Break each job into separate tasks and examine
each task for ways to prevent injury.
Manual handling of materials increases the
possibility of injury and adds to the product’s
cost. Thus, minimize manual handling of
materials.
Materials Handling Injuries
Since most injuries occur to feet and hands, give
the following general pointers to employees who
handle materials:
Inspect materials for
slivers, jagged or sharp
edges, burrs, rough or
slippery surfaces.
Grasp objects with a firm grip.
Keep fingers away from pinch and
shear points.
Materials Handling Injuries

Wipe off greasy, wet, slippery, or dirty objects

before handling them.
Keep hands free of oil, dirt, or grease.
Materials Handling Injuries-Manual Lifting
Conduct a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) and follow
medical recommendations when establishing
lifting standards.
Before workers lift a heavy or bulky object and
carry it to another location, they should inspect
the routes over which they will move the object.
Next, workers should inspect the object to
decide how they will grasp it, thus
avoiding sharp edges.
Materials Handling Injuries-Manual Lifting
Most lower back injuries come from tasks
requiring lifting. Other activities such as
lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying material, or
twisting the body can also cause back injuries.
Back injuries are 2nd in number after injuries to
the fingers and hands.
Consider all three main factors in manual lifting:
load location, task repetition, and load weight
when determining what is safe or unsafe to lift.
Manual Material Handling Operations
Manual Lifting – Rules
Manual Lifting – Rules
DO engineer manual lifting and lowering out of task
DO be in good physical shape
DO think before acting
DO get a good grip on the load
DO get the load close to the body
DO NOT twist the back or bend sideways
DO NOT lift or lower awkwardly
DO NOT hesitate to get help (TEAM LIFTING)
DO NOT lift with your arms extended
DO NOT continue lifting when load is too heavy
Material Handling Equipment
Equipment such as trolleys,
hand trucks, pallet trucks,
Chain blocks and slings used
for moving and handling
materials should be kept in a
safe and serviceable Platform truck
condition. It should be free of
cracks or other defects which
could cause failure of the
equipment or injury to
employees using it. Such
equipment should be used
only for the purpose for which
it was designed.
Drum-handling truck
Material Handling Equipment
Mechanical equipment such
as cranes, hoists, scoops,
stackers, forklift trucks and
ladders used in stacking,
moving or loading materials
should be kept in a safe and
serviceable condition, and
Bag truck
should be regularly inspected
and maintained.

Dolly

Hoist
Material Handling Equipment
Materials handling equipment
should be used only for the
purposes for which it was
designed and should not be
operated on steep or rough
surfaces which could result in
an accident.
No worker should ride on
equipment used for the
moving, handling or storage of
material unless it has been
designed for the purpose.
Block and tackle
Material Handling Equipment
All equipment should be operated in a safe and
efficient manner and should not be loaded beyond the
capacity for which it was designed.

Materials handling equipment is susceptible to fire

from friction heat generated by accumulations of
grease and dirt. Fires involving forklift trucks can be
caused by equipment failure due to lack of
maintenance.
Material Handling Equipment
Safety procedures for two-wheelers:
Tip the load to be lifted slightly forward to nudge
the tongue of the truck underneath load
Push truck all the way under the load to be moved.
Keep center of gravity of load as low as possible.
Place heavy objects below lighter objects.
Place load well forward so weight of load will be
carried by axle not the handles.
Place load so it will not slip, shift, or fall and fill only
to an appropriate height.
Let the truck carry the load. Operator should only
balance and push.
Never walk backward with a hand truck.
Control truck at all times and stay at a safe speed.
Material Handling Equipment
Safety procedures for four-wheelers:
Similar procedures to two-wheel truck.
Pay special attention to loading to prevent tipping.
Arrange load to prevent falling or damage if bumped.
Push rather than pull—less stress on the back, and it protects
worker’s heel from being caught under the truck back.
Keep height of load low enough to observe travel path.
Handles should be placed to protect the operator’s hands from
scrapes, crushes, or hits.
Material Storage
Storage of materials should be secure, neat,
and orderly to eliminate hazards and conserve
space. 　
A good plan for storing materials reduces the
amount of handling needed both to bring
materials into production and to remove
finished products from production to shipping.
Material Storage
Planning Materials Storage:
Allow adequate ceiling
clearance under
sprinklers.
Keep automatic sprinkler
system controls and
electrical panel boxes
free and clear.
Make sure material does
not obstruct fire hoses or
fire extinguishers.
Material Storage
Planning Materials Storage:
Keep exits and aisles
clear at all times.
Use bins or racks to
facilitate storage and
reduce hazards.
Material stored on racks,
pallets or skids is easily
movable with less
damage and fewer
injuries to employees.
Material Storage
Planning Materials Storage:
Protect personnel with proper procedures.
Special equipment required for high-bay facilities.
Material Storage
Planning Materials Storage:
Rigid containers
large metal
containers and box
pallets
fiberboard/cardboard
cartons
barrels and kegs
rolled paper and reels
compressed gas
cylinders
Material Storage
Planning Materials Storage:
Uncrated stock
lumber
bagged material
pipe and bar stock
sheet metal
burlap sacking
(spontaneous
combustion hazard—
heat from weight
from stacking)
Material Storage
Containers for Liquids:
Drums
Tanks
Pipelines
Material Storage
Containers for Liquids: Portable Containers:
Drums, barrels, tote bins, and carboys
Keep only a minimum amount of liquid at point of
operation.
If corrosive, provide isolation protection and protect
from spilling into storm sewer system.
Storage area must be well ventilated.
Separate racks for each material if stacked in racks.
Barrels stacked vertically with dunnage between the
tiers.
Control storage areas for materials with compatibility.
Safe Stacking Techniques
The basic materials handling and storage systems
common to a wide range of stores and warehouses
are pallets and racking systems.
Accidents associated directly with pallets occur for
five main reasons:
(a) Poor pallet design;
(b) Poor pallet construction;
(c) Use of an unsuitable pallet for the load or
storage method;
(d) Continued use of damaged pallet;
(e) Bad handling.
Safe Stacking Techniques
There are basically six reasons for a racking system
failure, either acting singly or in combination:
(a) Design fault i.e. rack is inherently unsafe;
(b) Installation fault;
(c) Materials handling equipment fault;
(d) Materials handling equipment operator fault;
(e) Supervision and control fault;
(f) Store or warehouse structural fault.
Safe Stacking Techniques
The size and
shape of a stack Column stack
depends on the
storage space
available and on
the size, shape,
bulk, weight, Square stack
rigidity or fragility
of the articles to
be stored. The
following are the
commonest Pyramid stack
forms of stack:
Safe Stacking Techniques

Stepped stack Triangular stack Lean-to stack

Safe Stacking Techniques
Safe Stacking Techniques
Outdoor stacks are affected by weather conditions
such as rain, wind, frost and sun. These conditions
can greatly influence the stability of stacks over time
and should be taken into consideration.
Materials which could be dislodged or blown off the
top of a stack under windy conditions should be tied
down or otherwise restrained.
If tarpaulins are used to secure or protect the stacks,
they should be fastened to independent anchorage,
not to the stack itself.
An outdoor stack secured by
tarpaulins
Safe Stacking Techniques
Bagged material of differing sizes and shapes (e.g.
seeds, granules, pellets etc.) should not be stacked
on top of each other unless proper precautions are
taken to prevent movement by settling or vibration.
Pallets with spacers or some form of horizontal
bonding should be used if there is a risk of such
movement or if it is intended or necessary to stack
high.

Stacking bagged
goods
Safe Stacking Techniques
Personal Protective Equipment
Protective clothing and equipment such as overalls,
aprons, gloves, gauntlets, leggings, safety helmets,
ear protection, eye protection (face shields and
safety glasses), safety footwear, face masks,
respirators, safety harnesses, belts or other
equipment must be provided by the employer as and
when necessary.
Personal Protective Equipment
Employees must wear the protective clothing and
equipment as and when necessary.
If hazardous chemicals or substances are stored,
e.g. corrosive acids, an emergency shower and eye
wash should be installed in each storage area.
The End