Following a busy December retail period, warehouses and logistics are being urged to remember staff health and safety when dealing with a high level of product returns after the festive season.
With many warehouses seeing an increase in returned products from UK retailers hoping to rid their stores of Christmas gift items and returns to make space for the spring season, workplace lifting injuries can be common as staff struggle to cope with the high demand of takebacks.
Following a recent report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), statistics have shown that over half a million UK workers suffered from work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2017 to 2018, with over 40 per cent of these injuries affecting the back.
This led to 6.6 million lost days at work and millions of pounds in lost productivity.
In order to safeguard employee wellbeing and reduce the number of days lost due to similar injuries, Midland Pallet Trucks is advising employers to audit their current materials handling equipment including hand pallet trucks, manual stacker trucks and lift tables to help them keep up with this busy period without putting individuals at risk.
Many workers feel obliged to lift heavy items manually if the correct lifting equipment is in use elsewhere in the warehouse during busy periods, so it is the employer that has a duty of care to ensure that there is enough equipment available to go around.
Thanks to Midland Pallet Trucks’ centrally located distribution centre, products can be ordered either via phone or online and shipped the very same day, keeping warehouses and storage facilities on track.
Phil Chesworth, managing director of Midland Pallet Trucks, said: “January is always a busy period for the warehouse industry, and following the festive period there is the added demand of seasonal returns and takebacks placed on employees too.
“With such worrying figures released by the HSE on back and neck injuries, we want to make sure that the warehouse sector has all the equipment it needs to ensure that the demands are met without the cost of injury to their workers. Many of our products are available for immediate dispatch to help safeguard employees and keep productivity at optimal levels.”
