MHI Solutions - Volume 3, Issue 5 - (Page 77)

SAFER HANDLING Integrating Barrier Protection with Ergonomics BY JEAN FEINGOLD orkers doing manual material handling have the best chance of avoiding injury in workplaces where barrier protection is integrated with ergonomic equipment. In planning or reviewing what safety equipment to use in your plant, look at potential physical risks to workers from machines, slipping and falling and falling debris at the same time as considering ergonomic hazards of the job itself like repetitive lifting, bending, twisting and reaching. Areas of concern include work cells, large machinery, assembly lines, conveyors, walkways and mezzanines. Examine how workers move through the plant and what they do on their jobs. Here is a typical scenario. A worker enters the building through the plant door, arriving at a walkway where he walks 80 feet, passing an intersection, to a landing. He goes up the stairs to a mezzanine where goods or parts that were delivered by a forklift are stored in racks all the way up to the ceiling. How can this worker be kept safe? Barrier protection is needed from the door all along the edge of the walkway. The floor should be covered in nonslip, light-colored material. The walkway must be well-lit. At the intersection, additional barrier protection, a caution light, a gate and a mirror to see around the corner may be needed. The stair steps should be ergonomically designed, well-lit and covered with a non-skid highly visible surface. In addition to having handrails on both sides, install a spill guard at each edge of the stairs to prevent anything that is dropped from going beneath the handrail and falling to the floor below. Protect the mezzanine's edge with both handrails and spill guards. The items stored in the racks need netting or rack safety panels to keep them from falling onto walkways below, potentially damaging workers or equipment. That covering must be easy to open and close so workers will not strain themselves when doing so. These six partially raised hydraulic work access lifts raise, lower and position workers to gain good ergonomic access to their work. The work area is behind a barrier and the lifts are fitted with handrails with spill guards, gates and ladders for egress on and off the platforms. www.mhi.org * MHI SOLUTIONS 77 http://www.mhi.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MHI Solutions - Volume 3, Issue 5

CEO Update
Ensuring Supply Chain Supplier Sustainability and Transparency
Energy Savings in the Supply Chain
The Future is Now
The Internet of Things: Connecting Supply Chains to Sustainability
Sustainable Supply Chains Requires Effective Supply Management Capabilities
The Changing Face of the Supply Chain: Under 35 and on the Rise
Building a Sustainable Supply Chain Workforce
Industry Focus: Apparel
MODEX 2016 Preview
Industry Trends
Economic Market Analysis
Education
“It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!”
Safer Handling
Solutions Group Update
Fulfillment Update
Solutions Spotlight
Scholarship Winners: Where Are They Now?
MHI News
Calendar
Index of Advertisers

MHI Solutions - Volume 3, Issue 5