Material Handling and

Storage
Occupational Health and Safety
November 7, 2005

1
 Objectives
• Recognize material handling hazards
– Manual material handling
– Industrial trucks
– Conveyors
– (Cranes will be addressed later)
• Become familiar with basic methods of
controlling these hazards

2
 Material Handling and
Storage
• Outline
– Introduction
– General Practices
– Storage
– Manual Material Handling
– Powered Industrial Trucks

3
 Introduction
• 600,000 overexertion injuries, 27% of all lost-
workday cases
– 370,000 injuries caused by lifting
– 93,000 pushing/pulling
– Strains and sprains from loads that are too heavy
or large
– Fractures, cuts and bruises from improper storage
• 100 annual deaths from Powered Industrial
Trucks (forklifts)

4
 Introduction
• General Work Practices
– Get help for large loads or use mechanical
devices
– When blocking a raised load:
• Keep hands from underneath before releasing
load
• Use blocking materials of adequate strength
• Look for cracks, splintered pieces, rounded
corners, etc.
– Attach handles or holder to loads
– Use appropriate PPE
• Gloves, eye protection, safety boots (for heavy
loads)
5
 Introduction

• General Work Practices (cont.)

– Do not overload equipment
• Refer to equipment rated capacity
– General forklift procedures
• Center load on forks and close to mast
• Do not overload
• Do not add extra weight to counterbalance
• Travel with load at lowest position

6
 Materials Storage
• Precautions for stored materials
– Stacked loads correctly piled and cross-tiered
– Stored material must not create hazard
– Areas free of accumulated material
– In buildings, no stored materials within 6 feet of
hoist ways or 10 feet of exterior building walls
– Store non-compatible material separately

7
 Materials Storage
• Stored material precautions (cont.)
– Employees in silos, hopers or tanks equipped with
lifeline and safety harness
– Bound material stacked, on racks, blocked or
interlocked to keep it from sliding, falling or
collapsing
– Don't exceed load capacity for the structure
• Post load limits
– Stacking height
• Mark walls or posts to indicate maximum height

8
 Lumber and Brick Storage
• Lumber
– Maximum stack height
• 16 feet (manual handling)
• 20 feet (forklift)
– Remove nails from used lumber Lumber storage
– Stacks stable and self-supporting
• Bricks
– Maximum 7 feet high
– Above 4 feet, taper stacks 2 inches per
foot
9
 Block and Bag Storage
• Masonry blocks
– Above 6 feet , taper stacks 2
block per tier
• Bags and bundles
– Stack in interlocking rows
– Step back at least every 10
layers
Block storage
– Remove from top of stack first
– Keep baled paper and rags at
least 10 inches from walls,
ceilings, or sprinkler heads
10
 Box and Drum Storage
• Boxed materials
– Hold in place using cross-ties, or
shrink plastic
• Block cylindrical material (bars,
poles, etc.)
• Use bins or shelves for
materials that cannot be
stacked Box storage

11
 Box and Drum Storage
• Drums, barrels, kegs
– Stack symmetrically
– If stored on side,
block bottom tiers to
prevent rolling
– If stacked on ends,
use planks, pallets,
etc. between each tier Drum storage

12
 Manual Lifting
• Manual lifting precautions
– Avoid manual lifting when possible
– Limit vertical lifting (knuckle-to-shoulder height)
– Be in good physical shape
– Plan the lifting operation
– Get a good grip
– Keep the load close to the body
– Do not twist or bend sideways
– Get help for large or heavy loads

13 Manual lifting
 Manual Lifting
• Recommendations for specific tasks
– Grasp opposite corners on boxes, cartons &
sacks
– Use mechanical assistance for barrels and
drums
– Wear leather gloves when handling sheet
metal
– Plate glass
Drum jack
• Carry with bottom edge in gloved palm,
other hand on top edge
• Never carry plate glass under the arm
– Use a team for long objects

14
 2-wheeled hand trucks
• Safe hand truck use
– Tip load forward and slip tongue
underneath
– Keep center of gravity low
– Let the truck carry the load - don't lean
it too far
– Walk forward - keep load height low Hand truck Appliance
enough to see truck
– Secure bulky items to the truck
– Use specialty equipment
• Drums
• Appliances
• Stair climbers
15
Stair-climbing truck Drum truck
 Conveyers
• Conveyer basics
– Hazards
• Nip points (rollers, near frame)
• Material may fall from conveyor
• Persons may be caught in the conveyor
– Controls
• Emergency stop button or pull cord Inclined belt conveyor
– Must be reset after use
– Never ride on conveyor
• Guards over aisles or
work areas
• Screw conveyors covered, interlocked

16 Screw conveyor
 Powered Industrial Trucks
(Forklifts)
• Forklift injuries and deaths
– 100 annual deaths, 95,000 injured
– Cause of fatality:
• 42% crushed by vehicle tipping
• 25% crushed between vehicle and surface
• 11% crushed between two vehicles
• 10% struck or run over by vehicle
– 8% struck by falling material
– 4% fall from platform or forks
– 2% accidental activation of controls

17
 Powered Industrial Trucks
(Forklifts)
• Forklift injuries and
deaths (cont)
– “Classic” forklift accidents:
• Forklift overturns when
traveling or lifting a load
• Trailer moves while being
loaded or unloaded, causing
the forklift to fall

18
 Powered Industrial Trucks
(Forklifts)
• Forklift safety
– ANSI Approved
• Identifying label
– Owner modification
• Only with mfg.
Approval
• New label required
– Front-end attachments
• Should have new
label

19
 Classes of forklifts
– Electric Motor, Sit-down Rider, Counter-Balanced
Trucks (solid and pneumatic tires)
– Electric Motor Narrow Aisle Trucks (solid tires)

20
 Classes of forklifts
– Electric Motor Hand Trucks or Hand/Rider Trucks (solid
tires)
– Internal Combustion Engine Trucks (solid tires)

21
 Classes of forklifts
– Internal Combustion Engine Trucks (pneumatic tires)
– Electric and Internal Combustion Engine Tractors (solid
and pneumatic tires)
– Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks (pneumatic tires)

Tractors Rough Terrain Extended-

22 Reach Forklifts
 Trucks for Hazardous
Locations
• “Explosion proof” forklifts
are used to control ignition
– Example:
• DS (Diesel), EE (completely
enclosed electrical), or EX
trucks where flammable gases
or liquids are handled, but
contained

23
 Powered Industrial Truck
Safety
• Fuel, liquid or gas
– Handled in accord with NFPA standards
• Batteries
– Hazards
• Lifting and handling Forklift battery
• Acid (electrolyte)
• Hydrogen produced during charging
– Precautions
• Designated battery charging area
• Spill control, fire protection,
ventilation, etc.
• Mechanical handling equipment
• No smoking 24 Battery charging station
 Powered Industrial Truck
Safety
• Trucks and Railroad cars
– Many deaths occur when a truck moves
as it is loaded
• Forklift travel and braking action cause
the truck to move away from the dock
• The forklift falls into the gap and the Wheel chock
driver is crushed
– Precautions
• Brakes set, wheel chocks (trucks)
• Wheel stops (railroad cars)
• Trailer restraints secure the truck to
the loading dock
25 Trailer restraint
 Powered Industrial Truck
Operation
• Safe forklift operation
– Never drive toward a person standing in front of a fixed
object
– No person under any elevated portion
– Do not place arms or legs in the mast or outside the truck
– Unattended trucks must be shut off with lowered load
– Set brakes and wheel blocks when loading vehicles
(trucks, rail cars, etc.)
– Maintain headroom under lights, sprinkler systems, etc.
– Use overhead guard to protect from falling objects
– Use load backrest when necessary

26
 Powered Industrial Truck
Operation
• Safe forklift operation
– Cross railroad tacks on the diagonal
– Sound horn at blind intersections
– Back down ramps, drive forward up ramps
– Operate at safe speed, avoid quick turns
– Personnel on loading platform must have an
emergency shut-off for truck power A dockboard
– Secure dockboards and bridge plates is used to bridge
– Loads must be stable and safely arranged the gap between
– Disconnect battery before repairing electrical system loading dock and
– Replacement parts must be equivalent to original truck/trailer

27
 Forklift Training
• OSHA standard, 1919.178(l)
– Effective March 1, 1999
– Formal training program required
• OSHA specified topics
– Stability, operation, etc.
• Initial training before use
• Refresher training (based on observations)
• Employer must certify proper training

28
 Forklift Training
Vehicle Center of
Stability Triangle: B Gravity (Unloaded)

C Center of Gravity
of Vehicle and
Maximum Load
(Theoretical)
Notes:
1. When the vehicle is loaded, the combined center of gravity (CG) shifts toward line B-C.
Theoretically the maximum load will result in the CG at the line B-C. In actual practice,
the combined CG should never be at line B-C.
2. The addition of additional counterweight will cause the truck CG to shift toward point A
29
and result in a truck that is less stable laterally.
 Forklift Training
Stability Triangle
Load CG
Load CG
Vertical
Stability
Line
Combined CG
(Line of Action)

Combined CG
Vertical
Truck CG Stability
Truck CG Line
(Line of Action)

The vehicle is stable This vehicle is unstable and

30 will continue to tip over
31