1 Material Handling and Storage Occupational Health and Safety November 7, 2005.

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Material Handling and Storage

Occupational Health and SafetyNovember 7, 2005

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Objectives

• Recognize material handling hazards – Manual material handling– Industrial trucks– Conveyors– (Cranes will be addressed later)

• Become familiar with basic methods of controlling these hazards

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Material Handling and Storage

• Outline– Introduction– General Practices– Storage– Manual Material Handling– Powered Industrial Trucks

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Introduction

• 600,000 overexertion injuries, 27% of all lost- workday cases– 370,000 injuries caused by lifting– 93,000 pushing/pulling– Strains and sprains from loads that are too heavy

or large – Fractures, cuts and bruises from improper storage

• 100 annual deaths from Powered Industrial Trucks (forklifts)

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Introduction

• General Work Practices– Get help for large loads or use mechanical

devices– When blocking a raised load:

• Keep hands from underneath before releasing load

• Use blocking materials of adequate strength• Look for cracks, splintered pieces, rounded

corners, etc.– Attach handles or holder to loads– Use appropriate PPE

• Gloves, eye protection, safety boots (for heavy loads)

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Introduction

• General Work Practices (cont.)– Do not overload equipment

• Refer to equipment rated capacity– General forklift procedures

• Center load on forks and close to mast• Do not overload• Do not add extra weight to counterbalance• Travel with load at lowest position

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Materials Storage

• Precautions for stored materials– Stacked loads correctly piled and cross-tiered– Stored material must not create hazard– Areas free of accumulated material – In buildings, no stored materials within 6 feet of

hoist ways or 10 feet of exterior building walls– Store non-compatible material separately

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Materials Storage

• Stored material precautions (cont.)– Employees in silos, hopers or tanks equipped with

lifeline and safety harness– Bound material stacked, on racks, blocked or

interlocked to keep it from sliding, falling or collapsing

– Don't exceed load capacity for the structure• Post load limits

– Stacking height• Mark walls or posts to indicate maximum height

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Lumber and Brick Storage

• Lumber– Maximum stack height

• 16 feet (manual handling)• 20 feet (forklift)

– Remove nails from used lumber– Stacks stable and self-supporting

• Bricks– Maximum 7 feet high– Above 4 feet, taper stacks 2 inches per

foot

Lumber storage

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Block and Bag Storage

• Masonry blocks– Above 6 feet , taper stacks 2

block per tier• Bags and bundles

– Stack in interlocking rows– Step back at least every 10

layers– Remove from top of stack first– Keep baled paper and rags at

least 10 inches from walls, ceilings, or sprinkler heads

Block storage

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Box and Drum Storage

• Boxed materials– Hold in place using cross-ties, or

shrink plastic• Block cylindrical material (bars,

poles, etc.)• Use bins or shelves for

materials that cannot be stacked Box storage

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Box and Drum Storage

• Drums, barrels, kegs– Stack symmetrically– If stored on side,

block bottom tiers to prevent rolling

– If stacked on ends, use planks, pallets, etc. between each tier Drum storage

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Manual Lifting

• Manual lifting precautions– Avoid manual lifting when possible– Limit vertical lifting (knuckle-to-shoulder height)– Be in good physical shape– Plan the lifting operation – Get a good grip– Keep the load close to the body– Do not twist or bend sideways– Get help for large or heavy loads

Manual lifting

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Manual Lifting• Recommendations for specific tasks

– Grasp opposite corners on boxes, cartons & sacks

– Use mechanical assistance for barrels and drums

– Wear leather gloves when handling sheet metal

– Plate glass• Carry with bottom edge in gloved palm,

other hand on top edge• Never carry plate glass under the arm

– Use a team for long objects

Drum jack

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2-wheeled hand trucks

• Safe hand truck use– Tip load forward and slip tongue

underneath– Keep center of gravity low– Let the truck carry the load - don't

lean it too far– Walk forward - keep load height low

enough to see– Secure bulky items to the truck– Use specialty equipment

• Drums• Appliances• Stair climbers

Stair-climbing truck

Appliance truck

Hand truck

Drum truck

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Conveyers• Conveyer basics

– Hazards• Nip points (rollers, near frame)• Material may fall from conveyor• Persons may be caught in the conveyor

– Controls• Emergency stop button or pull cord

– Must be reset after use– Never ride on conveyor

• Guards over aisles or work areas

• Screw conveyors covered, interlocked

Inclined belt conveyor

Screw conveyor

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Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts)

• Forklift injuries and deaths– 100 annual deaths, 95,000 injured– Cause of fatality:

• 42% crushed by vehicle tipping• 25% crushed between vehicle and surface• 11% crushed between two vehicles• 10% struck or run over by vehicle

– 8% struck by falling material– 4% fall from platform or forks– 2% accidental activation of controls

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Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts)

• Forklift injuries and deaths (cont)– “Classic” forklift accidents:

• Forklift overturns when traveling or lifting a load

• Trailer moves while being loaded or unloaded, causing the forklift to fall

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Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts)

• Forklift safety– ANSI Approved

• Identifying label– Owner modification

• Only with mfg. Approval

• New label required– Front-end attachments

• Should have new label

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Classes of forklifts– Electric Motor, Sit-down Rider, Counter-Balanced

Trucks (solid and pneumatic tires)– Electric Motor Narrow Aisle Trucks (solid tires)

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Classes of forklifts– Electric Motor Hand Trucks or Hand/Rider Trucks (solid

tires)– Internal Combustion Engine Trucks (solid tires)

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Classes of forklifts– Internal Combustion Engine Trucks (pneumatic tires)– Electric and Internal Combustion Engine Tractors (solid

and pneumatic tires)– Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks (pneumatic tires)

Rough Terrain Extended-Reach Forklifts

Tractors

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Trucks for Hazardous Locations

• “Explosion proof” forklifts are used to control ignition– Example:

• DS (Diesel), EE (completely enclosed electrical), or EX trucks where flammable gases or liquids are handled, but contained

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Powered Industrial Truck Safety

• Fuel, liquid or gas– Handled in accord with NFPA standards

• Batteries– Hazards

• Lifting and handling• Acid (electrolyte)• Hydrogen produced during charging

– Precautions• Designated battery charging area• Spill control, fire protection,

ventilation, etc.• Mechanical handling equipment• No smoking Battery charging station

Forklift battery

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Powered Industrial Truck Safety

• Trucks and Railroad cars– Many deaths occur when a truck moves

as it is loaded• Forklift travel and braking action cause

the truck to move away from the dock• The forklift falls into the gap and the

driver is crushed– Precautions

• Brakes set, wheel chocks (trucks)• Wheel stops (railroad cars)• Trailer restraints secure the truck to

the loading dock

Wheel chock

Trailer restraint

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Powered Industrial Truck Operation

• Safe forklift operation– Never drive toward a person standing in front of a fixed

object– No person under any elevated portion– Do not place arms or legs in the mast or outside the

truck– Unattended trucks must be shut off with lowered load– Set brakes and wheel blocks when loading vehicles

(trucks, rail cars, etc.)– Maintain headroom under lights, sprinkler systems, etc.– Use overhead guard to protect from falling objects– Use load backrest when necessary

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Powered Industrial Truck Operation

• Safe forklift operation – Cross railroad tacks on the diagonal– Sound horn at blind intersections– Back down ramps, drive forward up ramps– Operate at safe speed, avoid quick turns– Personnel on loading platform must have an

emergency shut-off for truck power– Secure dockboards and bridge plates– Loads must be stable and safely arranged– Disconnect battery before repairing electrical

system– Replacement parts must be equivalent to original

A dockboard is used to bridgethe gap betweenloading dock and truck/trailer

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Forklift Training

• OSHA standard, 1919.178(l)– Effective March 1, 1999 – Formal training program required

• OSHA specified topics– Stability, operation, etc.

• Initial training before use• Refresher training (based on observations)• Employer must certify proper training

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A

B

C

Vehicle Center ofGravity (Unloaded)

Center of Gravityof Vehicle and Maximum Load(Theoretical)

Stability Triangle:

Notes:1. When the vehicle is loaded, the combined center of gravity (CG) shifts toward line B-C.

Theoretically the maximum load will result in the CG at the line B-C. In actual practice, the combined CG should never be at line B-C.

2. The addition of additional counterweight will cause the truck CG to shift toward point A and result in a truck that is less stable laterally.

Forklift Training

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Load CG

Vertical StabilityLine(Line of Action)

Combined CG

Truck CG

Load CG

Combined CG

Vertical StabilityLine(Line of Action)

Truck CG

The vehicle is stable This vehicle is unstable and will continue to tip over

Stability Triangle

Forklift Training

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