Showing posts with label workplace safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workplace safety. Show all posts
Saturday
Safety in the Retail Workplace
The retail environment may appear to be a relatively safe workplace (save the disgruntled shopper or two), and unlike a construction site or workplace that develops chemicals, a retail store doesn't seem to pose any obvious threats. However, retail workers face everyday hazards, from trip-and-fall risks to back injuries resulting from lifting heavy boxes.
With retailers typically setting aside $10-30,000 for each lost time injury, the unforeseen retail injuries can quickly add up. Employees who don't follow safety guidelines can wield a huge impact on a company's bottom line. Following are general guidelines that every retail owner and employee needs to protect themselves from the potential injury pitfalls of retail:
Safety in a Retail Store
1. Stack cartons so that they're not piled at the end of aisles where people could trip over them.
2. Clean all floors, aisles and stairs and keep them free of debris, trash, spills or fallen merchandise.
3. Make sure that all floor mats and carpets lie flat, free from ripples or curled edges, and are slide resistant.
4. All exit paths should be free of obstruction.
5. Stack merchandise in a stable manner and that's easy to reach.
6. Remove protruding objects from displays, counters, tables and floor stacks.
7. Maintain at least 30 inches of clearance around sources of ignition such as heaters, boilers, and electrical panels.
Tips for Proper Lifting
1. Size up the load. If it looks too heavy, use lifting equipment or ask for help.
2. Before lifting and carrying an object, check to make sure your route is free of obstruction, water, and other trip-and-fall hazards.
3. As you lift, place your feet close to the object, bend your knees and get a firm hold on the box. Lift primarily using your leg muscles.
4. Keeping the load close to your body without twisting or turning, lift straight up.
5. Turn your body by changing foot position as you start walking, rather than twisting.
6. Set the load down slowly, bending at the knees. Do not let go of the load until you've lowered it securely to the floor.
7. Transport carts and wheel racks by pushing - not pulling.
Receiving Dock Safety
1. Keep the dock area clear of displays or other debris.
2. Clean any spills or wet areas immediately.
3. Check all pallet jacks before use.
4. Don't hoist yourself up or jump from the dock to ground level. Use the stairs to fo from ground level to the dock, or vice versa.
5. Never ride a pallet jack or forklift.
To avoid injury or damage to inventory, retailers should also use caution when opening shipping and receiving freight. Perhaps one of the most often overlooked precautions is in the use of a utility knife. Retailers are constantly receiving shipments and orders that require careful opening to prevent injury as well as damage to the product. Use the following guidelines to safely open a carton with a box cutter:
1. Always keep a box cutter with a sharp blade handy when working with freight and opening boxes.
2. Set the carton on a flat, steady surface.
3. Position the carton at an angle to your body so that the cutter will not be moving directly towards you.
4. Place one hand on the box and use the other hand to firmly hold the box cutter.
5. Make a smooth cut, and then turn the carton a quarter revolution. Make another smooth cut, and turn the carton again.
6. Cut as close to the top of the box as possible.
7. Check the condition of the box cutter's blade. Dull blades require more pressure and increase the risk of injuries.
To work well, a safety knife needs to be mistake-proof. In other words, its safety features must be so deeply built-in that a new, untrained employee can't accidentally override them.
About the Author
Safecutters Inc., provides an online store of utility knife box cutters for opening shipping boxes and shipping packages, as well as safety knives to open moving boxes and packages. For more information about Klever Kutter and other Safecutters products contact us!
With retailers typically setting aside $10-30,000 for each lost time injury, the unforeseen retail injuries can quickly add up. Employees who don't follow safety guidelines can wield a huge impact on a company's bottom line. Following are general guidelines that every retail owner and employee needs to protect themselves from the potential injury pitfalls of retail:
Safety in a Retail Store
1. Stack cartons so that they're not piled at the end of aisles where people could trip over them.
2. Clean all floors, aisles and stairs and keep them free of debris, trash, spills or fallen merchandise.
3. Make sure that all floor mats and carpets lie flat, free from ripples or curled edges, and are slide resistant.
4. All exit paths should be free of obstruction.
5. Stack merchandise in a stable manner and that's easy to reach.
6. Remove protruding objects from displays, counters, tables and floor stacks.
7. Maintain at least 30 inches of clearance around sources of ignition such as heaters, boilers, and electrical panels.
Tips for Proper Lifting
1. Size up the load. If it looks too heavy, use lifting equipment or ask for help.
2. Before lifting and carrying an object, check to make sure your route is free of obstruction, water, and other trip-and-fall hazards.
3. As you lift, place your feet close to the object, bend your knees and get a firm hold on the box. Lift primarily using your leg muscles.
4. Keeping the load close to your body without twisting or turning, lift straight up.
5. Turn your body by changing foot position as you start walking, rather than twisting.
6. Set the load down slowly, bending at the knees. Do not let go of the load until you've lowered it securely to the floor.
7. Transport carts and wheel racks by pushing - not pulling.
Receiving Dock Safety
1. Keep the dock area clear of displays or other debris.
2. Clean any spills or wet areas immediately.
3. Check all pallet jacks before use.
4. Don't hoist yourself up or jump from the dock to ground level. Use the stairs to fo from ground level to the dock, or vice versa.
5. Never ride a pallet jack or forklift.
To avoid injury or damage to inventory, retailers should also use caution when opening shipping and receiving freight. Perhaps one of the most often overlooked precautions is in the use of a utility knife. Retailers are constantly receiving shipments and orders that require careful opening to prevent injury as well as damage to the product. Use the following guidelines to safely open a carton with a box cutter:
1. Always keep a box cutter with a sharp blade handy when working with freight and opening boxes.
2. Set the carton on a flat, steady surface.
3. Position the carton at an angle to your body so that the cutter will not be moving directly towards you.
4. Place one hand on the box and use the other hand to firmly hold the box cutter.
5. Make a smooth cut, and then turn the carton a quarter revolution. Make another smooth cut, and turn the carton again.
6. Cut as close to the top of the box as possible.
7. Check the condition of the box cutter's blade. Dull blades require more pressure and increase the risk of injuries.
To work well, a safety knife needs to be mistake-proof. In other words, its safety features must be so deeply built-in that a new, untrained employee can't accidentally override them.
About the Author
Safecutters Inc., provides an online store of utility knife box cutters for opening shipping boxes and shipping packages, as well as safety knives to open moving boxes and packages. For more information about Klever Kutter and other Safecutters products contact us!
Accidents in the Workplace
Health and Safety is more commonly overlooked than it should be. Although when starting a new job it is the duty of your employer to make you aware of health and safety, with a legal obligation to do so, this is more than usually done through watching short films about what to do in an emergency and being told where the nearest fire points are, but how many of us would actually know what to do if a situation like those seen in the films happened in real life?
Injuries in the work place are common and make up a large majority of the personal injury claims that are made. Employer’s have to make sure the workplace is safe and without risk to health. Some steps taken to maintain this are to provide protective clothing where necessary, assess the risks that might be involved in work practices such as using a computer, provide adequate first aid equipment and facilities and keeping dust, fumes and noise under control.
Although it is the job of an employer to make you aware of potential risks and that you understand procedures that need to be followed in order to carry out practices in a safe manner, you as an employee must cooperate with the health and safety guidelines in order to keep the workplace safe.
When an accident does occur at work there is a legal obligation that it has to be reported to your employer as soon as possible. The accident will be noted in what is called the Accident Book, most if not all workplaces should have one of these and if they don’t, it is advised that you note details of the accident down, making two copies, one for you and one for your boss. If you fail to report details of the accident and later decide to claim for compensation, your claim will be unfounded and dismissed.
Another piece of advice for people who wish to make a claim after a work related accident is to make an appointment with a doctor so your injuries can be professionally assessed. Even if your injuries seem very minor it is still a good idea as you will have a medical record of exactly what happened, which, in some cases could make or break a compensation claim.
Accidents at work that cause personal injury can entitle you to compensation through a no win no fee claim. Most accident claims companies work on a no win no fee basis and it’s never been easier to claim. With trained advisors and professional help at your fingertips, you will be told straight away whether your case has the potential to win.
There are many accidents at work that often go overlooked, these accidents are ones that don’t cause injury but come extremely close to doing so. A few examples of these are an electrical short circuit or overload causing a fire or explosion, failure of lifts and or lifting equipment and also equipment coming into contact with overheated power lines.
About the Author
Helen Cox is the web master. For more information and specialist advice on Accidents at work This article is free to republish provided this resource box remains intact.
Injuries in the work place are common and make up a large majority of the personal injury claims that are made. Employer’s have to make sure the workplace is safe and without risk to health. Some steps taken to maintain this are to provide protective clothing where necessary, assess the risks that might be involved in work practices such as using a computer, provide adequate first aid equipment and facilities and keeping dust, fumes and noise under control.
Although it is the job of an employer to make you aware of potential risks and that you understand procedures that need to be followed in order to carry out practices in a safe manner, you as an employee must cooperate with the health and safety guidelines in order to keep the workplace safe.
When an accident does occur at work there is a legal obligation that it has to be reported to your employer as soon as possible. The accident will be noted in what is called the Accident Book, most if not all workplaces should have one of these and if they don’t, it is advised that you note details of the accident down, making two copies, one for you and one for your boss. If you fail to report details of the accident and later decide to claim for compensation, your claim will be unfounded and dismissed.
Another piece of advice for people who wish to make a claim after a work related accident is to make an appointment with a doctor so your injuries can be professionally assessed. Even if your injuries seem very minor it is still a good idea as you will have a medical record of exactly what happened, which, in some cases could make or break a compensation claim.
Accidents at work that cause personal injury can entitle you to compensation through a no win no fee claim. Most accident claims companies work on a no win no fee basis and it’s never been easier to claim. With trained advisors and professional help at your fingertips, you will be told straight away whether your case has the potential to win.
There are many accidents at work that often go overlooked, these accidents are ones that don’t cause injury but come extremely close to doing so. A few examples of these are an electrical short circuit or overload causing a fire or explosion, failure of lifts and or lifting equipment and also equipment coming into contact with overheated power lines.
About the Author
Helen Cox is the web master. For more information and specialist advice on Accidents at work This article is free to republish provided this resource box remains intact.
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