Safety concerns raised over pre-Brexit warehouse stockpiling

Peter Ward from the United Kingdom Warehousing Association has said that Britain’s warehouses are short of space because of the stockpiling of goods in anticipation of a no-deal Brexit. This situation has raised safety concerns about the health risks to workers in overstocked storage areas.

Workers in many warehouses are being asked to lift and load a record amount of goods delivered to warehouses for storage, leaving them at risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of a warehouse equipment manufacturer, said:

“The amount of warehousing space available is severely limited thanks to Brexit stockpiling, so warehouse employees are expected to meet hefty targets to ensure that new consignments are processed as quickly as possible.”

He warned that if appropriate lifting aids are not available, repetitive tasks may cause strain and injuries.

Warehouse owners need to make sure that they are using the best equipment from their warehouse equipment supplier that maintain efficiency without endangering health. Warehouse trolleys and lifting equipment need to be well designed and efficient so that they can be operated safely. Workers need training in the best way to lift and manually move goods.

Once Brexit has been finalised and many warehouses return to normal capacity, the growth of online commerce means that workers in warehouses processing online orders could come under greater pressure to handle more orders. This means that it will remain vital for warehouses to have safe manual handling procedures.

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