Train your staff how to use your material handling solutions and prevent accidents in the workplace

Two workmen who were plastering a new shopping centre recently endured serious injuries when the materials handling equipment they were using over turned.  When an investigation into the accident was carried out, it was concluded that the two men had never been given any proper instruction on how to use the material handling solutions that they were using. Therefore, they had not been using the equipment for its proper use, which was the reason why it had overturned. The two men, by mistake had overloaded the scissor lift, and were using it as a material hoist.

The two construction workers have asked not to be named, and were using the lifting solutions to move plaster board from one floor to another. They were doing this as part of the construction of the new Westfield shopping centre located in Derby.

When the scissor lift overturned, the two construction workers, one who was aged thirty nine, and one who was much younger at just twenty two, fell nearly seven metres to the ground.

Both of the men endured serious injuries from the accident, with the twenty two year old fracturing his hip and cheekbone, in addition to a broken nose. Whereas the elder of the two men suffered a fractured skull, eye socket and elbow, while both of the men came away with serious bruises, and were signed off work for a significant period of time after the accident.

The company the men worked for were hit with fines of £5,000 and were made to pay a total cost of £11,348 once they confessed up to breaching LOLER and materials handling legislation. 

Throughout the duration of last year nearly 4,000 workers suffered an accident or injury after falling from a height.

Because of these worrying statistics it is crucial that you train your staff on how to correctly use your lifting solutions properly. As well as instructing them on how to exactly use the machinery, for its intended purpose, the correct safety procedures and checks also need to become a routine part of daily life in your factory, warehouse or any other work space. If you do not have the knowledge, the time or resources to teach your staff the appropriate processes and provide them with the correct knowledge and information it may be more beneficial to ask an expert to come in for the day to hold an informational workshop for your staff.

If you require this service, you will need to seek a reputable company who has a good knowledge of the materials handling industry, such as Advanced Handling. Advanced Handling has been providing manual handling equipment such as electric stackers and other lifting solutions for over 30 years, giving them a vast amount of expertise in the area. They also offer after sales training packages on using your materials handling equipment, which are run by professional instructors, and are guaranteed to meet the strict guidelines outlined by the HSE. Investing in these training packages is a vital step in safeguarding you and your employee’s wellbeing, as they can effectively reduce the risk of an accident occurring in your workplace.

If you are interested in purchasing some new lifting solutions, or require more information on the training services Advanced Handling are able to provide please visit http://www.advancedhandling.co.uk.