Safe Working Area Charter is well supported

The UK Material Handling Association (UKMHA) has announced the launch of its Safe Working Area Charter which aims to keep engineers safe when repairing and maintaining material handling equipment. The charter stipulates that engineers must be provided with safe areas to work in and be protected from the dangers of other equipment and machinery.

At the recent Safety Convention, the EKMHA introduced its Safe Working Area Charter. They urged all businesses that use maintenance engineers on their sites to sign up to support the charter. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said that they support the charter. Kanwai Kanda, the Principal Inspector of Health and Safety at the HSE, reminded delegates at the event that employers have legal safety obligations. Companies face severe penalties if engineers are injured. The CEO of EKMHA, Claire Bottle said that the charter was part of her organisation’s aim to create a safety culture in every warehouse.

Whilst every warehouse equipment manufacturer has strict safety standards for their material handling equipment, regular maintenance is required, and equipment can break. The Safe Working
Area Charter recognises that engineers fixing equipment in busy working environments must have safe spaces to work in.

The Chair of the UKMHA Safe Working Group, Scott McGready said:

“We are looking to raise the bar on safety across the material handling sector, not just for the end-user but for everyone involved.”

McGready urges all UKMHA members and non-members to raise safety concerns and do what they can to improve health and safety issues.

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