Warehouse managers better make sure they are meeting safety requirements, as federal regulators are now focused on improving distribution operations.
Supply Chain Digest Says...
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Under this three-year emphasis program, OSHA will conduct comprehensive safety inspections focused on hazards related to powered industrial vehicle operations, material handling and storage, walking and working surfaces, means of egress and fire protection.
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The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last week kicked off a national “emphasis program” to reduce injuries for workplace hazards in warehouses, mail processing facilities, distribution centers, and certain high-risk retail establishments.
An OSHA “instruction” that came with the program’s launch stated that “The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) history shows that injury and illness rates for these establishments are significantly higher than for other establishments. The inspections under this NEP, except for high injury rate retail establishments, will be comprehensive safety inspections and will focus on workplace hazards common to those industries, including powered industrial vehicle operations, material handling/storage, walking-working surfaces, means of egress, and fire protection.”
It adds that “Heat and ergonomic hazards must be considered during all inspections covered by this [instruction], and a health inspection shall be conducted if OSHA learns that heat and/or ergonomic hazards are present.
The instruction notes the warehouse operations involve many worker risks, including struck-by, caught-in-between, slips, trips, and fall hazards; blocked aisles; means of egress; powered industrial vehicles and other material handling equipment; heat hazards; and ergonomic hazards.
“Incidents resulting from the above-mentioned hazards may result in death or serious physical harm,” the instruction adds.
In notes the fact that from 2017 through 2021, the five-year average incidence rate of non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses and the average Days Away Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate in establishments associated with warehousing and distribution center operations, mail processing and distribution centers, couriers/express delivery services, and local messengers and local delivery industries, were significantly higher than the baseline private general industry rates.
What’s more, the instruction says OSHA will create “a master list of targeted establishments” for safety inspections.
Under this three-year emphasis program, OSHA will conduct comprehensive safety inspections focused on hazards related to powered industrial vehicle operations, material handling and storage, walking and working surfaces, means of egress and fire protection.
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State regulators are required to adopt this emphasis program or establish a different program that can be shown in at least as effective as the federal model, and do so within 60 days.
The high-risk retail sectors that will also be part of this program are home products, hardware stores, other building materials, grocery stores and warehouse clubs.
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