CASE STUDY – LADDER SAFETY – WAREHOUSE
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310-AXC-01-IGDO© 2020, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
1 877 494 WSPS (9777) | 905 614 1400 | wsps.ca
3. Conclusion
The company came to a number of conclusions:
The special order items are too heavy for employees to lift making it difficult to remove from
the shelf.
The investigation revealed that the person did not want to climb down the mobile platform
to move it closer and instead tried to stretch to reach the box. A wheel moved and resulted
in the center of mass of the individual being moved outside of the platform, resulting
in instability and causing the individual to lose their balance and fall. Because of tight
timelines and busy schedules this has happened more than once.
One of the wheels on the mobile platform could not be locked resulting in some movement
when leaning.
Although inspection records were completed, the broken wheel was missed.
Employees were often fatigued from completing their entire order, by the time they
got to the heavier special order items, they felt it even more strenuous.
4. Recommendations
The following recommendations were implemented:
Developed a policy to limit how much employees can lift.
Added handles to boxes where appropriate.
Fixed the broken wheel so it could lock, stabilizing the platform.
Reviewed and updated the preventative maintenance schedule.
Re-trained committee members on what to look for during inspections.
Reorganized the heavier boxes onto lower shelves to make it easier to remove them from
the shelving.
Built in time for the reach truck to lower pallets to minimize the amount the mobile platform
use required.
Reorganized the way the orders were picked to try to minimize fatigue by picking
the special orders throughout the shift and not all at the end
Retrained employees on proper lifting and mobile platform use and taking the time
to reposition the mobile platform
Retrained supervisors on identifying hazards
Investigated mechanical means of product removal using different attachments on reach
trucks to remove some heavy boxes.
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