At every stage of business activity, we are currently dealing with logistics. The effective implementation of processes in logistics – both distribution (delivery) and production – is closely linked to maintaining and preserving their continuity. Many elements influence the maintenance of the continuity of implemented processes. One of the most important elements is work safety. Maintaining proper working conditions requires participants in the processes to minimize the risks that may occur during their implementation. Risks that can disrupt the implemented processes occur:
• during the movement of loads by long-distance transport means between subsequent transshipment and inventory storage locations
• in inventory storage locations.
This article is devoted to issues of work safety for maintaining the continuity of logistics processes, or more precisely, to the risks that may occur during their implementation in inventory storage locations, which can disrupt the course of these processes. Groups of risks defined for their sources of origin, in relation to the links of storage processes, are presented in Figure 1.
Elements of the implemented processes that directly create risks are:
• storage facilities
• storage equipment
• external and internal transport means
• moved and stored inventory
• humans.
Each element of the process creates a wide range of work safety risks due to its design and movement, which are intensified as a result of the dynamic and continuous change in the positions of some of these elements relative to each other. These risks can be identified during:
• maneuvering transport means
• carrying out transshipment activities
• performing handling activities related to the receipt and release of inventory
• inventory storage
• conducting order picking work
• performing auxiliary activities.
Maintaining the continuity of work carried out during the maneuvering of transport means can be disrupted by the following risks:
• collision of two external (long-distance) transport means
• collision of an external transport means with an internal transport means
• hitting, running over, or crushing a person by an external or internal transport means
• a person falling from an external or internal transport means
• a person falling from a transshipment station
• a load falling from the cargo box of a long-distance transport means
• rolling of a vehicle improperly secured during a stop, etc.
During the implementation of transshipment activities, the following risks can be identified:
• crushing a person by a long-distance transport means
• injury to upper limbs when opening cargo boxes of transport means
• crushing a person with a load when opening the cargo box of an external transport means
• crushing a person with a load falling from an internal transport means
• bodily injury as a result of falling from a transshipment station without or with a driven vehicle
• limb injuries from sharp edges of packaging or goods
• lower limb injuries due to damaged packaging and spilled goods
• bodily or eye injury due to handling inventory in leaking packaging or damage to packaging during handling
• lower limb injury due to the shifting of an improperly positioned loading bridge or an improperly secured vehicle
• crushing a person with a load during manual transshipment activities
• bodily injury due to tripping or slipping
• bodily or skeletal system injury due to improper load lifting methods
• bodily or eye injury during the transshipment of dusty and/or corrosive goods due to not using appropriate personal protective equipment.
The continuity of performing handling activities related to the receipt and release of inventory and order picking work can be disrupted by risks such as:
• injury to limbs, especially upper ones, by sharp edges of products or packaging when moving inventory (counting, weighing, etc.)
• bodily or eye injury due to handling inventory in leaking packaging or its damage, and due to handling loads contrary to the labeling placed on the packaging
• crushing of lower limbs due to the fall of controlled loads
• bodily or skeletal system injury due to improper lifting of loads
• injury to upper limbs due to incorrect handling of a load placed on or taken from a mechanical conveyor
• bodily or eye injury during the transshipment of dusty and/or corrosive goods due to not using appropriate personal protective equipment
• bodily injury due to falling from operated equipment (carts, ladders, platforms, etc.)
• collision of an internal transport means with storage equipment.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 4/2009.