Though this year’s statistics have not yet been published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the online shopping boom is feared to have caused an increase in warehouse staff injuries.
During the coronavirus pandemic, online shopping boomed, with some supermarkets doubling their online sales in four months of lockdown. Many online retailers have recruited extra staff to process online orders.
Manual handling safety measures and training are vital to protect new and existing workers. Manual handling expert Graham Sharp has called on businesses to use better equipment to improve worker safety. He said:
“Whilst it goes without saying that employers have a duty of care towards their employees, the trend in work related injuries does not reflect the advances being made in new technology to make manual handling more cost-efficient and far less hazardous.”
A British warehouse trolley producer makes warehouse trolleys to safe standards. All trolleys have a load capacity that should not be exceeded. Trolleys made from tubular steel by skilled metalworkers are designed to be safe under heavy use. Strong swivel casters make trolleys easy to manually move and steer.
Wearable technology has been developed that monitors users’ actions, measuring each movement, their frequency and any forces on the body. The information collected by these devices helps managers to risk access manual handling operations, and is used to develop strategies that protect staff from injury without compromising productivity.
Graham Sharp said:
Get a free quote“We encourage businesses to take a proactive stance on employee wellbeing.”
