News:
Toronto - May 1st and 2nd, 2006
Come visit us again at the 2006
IAPA Tradeshow this May 1st & 2nd,
Booth 535.
May 5, 1998
HRCMS becomes Incorporated.
Technology - February 4, 2006
After 19 years of Industrial Management Experience with World Wide Corporate Companies and 9 years of operating a HR Consulting Firm....
Watch for upcoming Compliance Directory...
Training by Objectives Perfection Strategy System - TOPS System.
 
 
 
 
 
HRCMS is an affiliated Distributor of Damotech (www.damotech.com) through Coll Health & Safety (www.collhealth.com) Damotech is a racking replacement product designed to replace damaged racking meeting the Pre-start requirements of Section 7 of Regulation 851. We would be more than please to inspect your racking systems to ensure your storage racks are to code. Samples of our Warehouse program have been inserted below for your benefit.
 
Flow Chart 1 -When Is a Pre-Start Health & Safety Review Required?
 
 
 
 
Appendix I: Tables
Table 1 – Section 7 Table
 
Item Applicable Provisions of this Regulation Circumstances
1 Subsections 22(1), (2) and (4) Flammable liquids are located or dispensed in a building, room or area.
2 Sections 24, 25, 26, 28, 31 and 32
Any of the following are used as protective elements in connection with an apparatus:
 
  • Safeguarding devices that signal the apparatus to stop, including but not limited to safety light curtains and screens, area scanning safeguarding systems, radio frequency systems and capacitance safeguarding systems, safety mat systems, two-hand control systems, two-hand tripping systems and signal or multiple beam systems
  • Barrier guards that use interlocking mechanical or electrical safeguarding devices
3 Clause 45 (b) Materials, articles or things are placed or stored on a structure that is a rack or stacking structure
4 Section 63 A process (4) involves a risk of ignition or explosion that creates a condition of imminent hazard to a person’s health or safety
5 Section 65 The use of a dust collector involves a risk of ignition or explosion that creates a condition of imminent hazard to a person’s health or safety
6 Sections 87.3, 87.4, 87.5 and 88, subsections 90(1), (2) and (3), and sections 91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 99, 101 and 102 A factory produces aluminum or steel or is foundry that melts material or handles molten material
7 Sections 51 and 53 The construction, addition, installation or modification relates to a lifting device, traveling crane or automobile host
8 Sections 127and 128 A process uses or produces a substance that may result in the exposure of a worker in excess of any occupational exposure limit set out in Regulation 833, 835, 836, 837, 838, 839, 840, 841, 842, 843, 844, 845 or 846 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990
 
1 For the purpose of this section, the term “process” refers only to those processes listed and identified in Table 1 under items 4 and 8
 
Flow Chart 4 - Rack & Stacking Structure exemptions
 
Item Applicable Provisions of this Regulation Circumstances Standards for exemption or to support compliance Other codes, & standards & practices for reference
3 Clause 45 (b) Materials, articles or things are placed or stored on a structure that is a rack or stacking structure RMI-Specification for the Design, testing and utilization of industrial steel storage racks

• Steel storage racking As 4084-
   1993
• SEMA Code of Practice for the    design of the static racking
• Pallet racks JIS Z 0620
• See listings of codes, standards,    manuals and handbooks in    Appendix II
 
For the purpose of section 7, rack and stacking structures are industrial pallet racks moveable shelf racks, stacker racks, drive-in and drive-through racks and cantilever racks. They are made of cold- formed hot rolled steel, wood, aluminum or concrete structural members. They are not other types of racks, such as portable racks or containers, or racks made of materials other than steel, wood aluminum or concrete.

In the case where a Pre-Start Health & Safety Review would be triggered by item 3of the table above (i.e. a rack), a Pre-Start Health & Safety Review would not be required if the rack or stacking structure is designed and tested for us in accordance with current applicable standards.

If no Pre-Start Health & Safety Review is required due to the rack exemption, the owner, lessee or employer must keep documentation supporting the exemption. The following documents are acceptable to establish such an exemption:
 
  1. A document from the manufacturer, supplier or vendor of the rack or stacking structure that indicates the requirements for it’s safe use, and contains a statement outlining the loading conditions and design standards used to design and build the rack or stacking structure. The requirements can take the form of, but are not limited to, capacity charts, structural drawings or a written statement specifying the capacity. The document must bear the seal and signature of a professional engineer. (or)
  2. A notice in writing from the manufacturer declaring that the rack or stacking structure is designed and tested for use in accordance with current applicable standards.
 
 
Regulation 851 Section 45 - Material Handling states
Material, articles or things.
 
  • Required to be lifted carried or moved, shall be lifted, carried or moved in such a way and with such precautions and safeguards, including protective clothing, guards, or other precautions as will ensure that the lifting, carrying or moving of the material, articles or things does not endanger the safety of any worker;
  • Shall be transported, placed or stored so that the material, articles or things,
    -  Will not tip, collapse or fall, and
    -  Can be removed or withdrawn without endangering the safety of any worker; and
  • To be removed from a storage area, pile or rack, shall be removed in a manner that will not endanger the safety of any worker.
Warehouse Program Performance Objectives
 
This is your guide to working safely in a warehouse. It will help you to:
 
  • recognize workplace hazards
  • prevent accident and injury
  • follow safe work practices
  • select and use proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • understand your duties and rights as given in the occupational health and safety legislation
  • contact government departments to find health and safety related information
Target Audience
 
This guide is for anyone who works in warehouses, storage facilities, bulk stores and the transport industry. It is a handy companion for workers, supervisors, managers, occupational health nurses and health and safety committee members.
 
Warehouse Fire Safety
 
When companies think about warehouse fire safety, they usually think of compliance to fire codes and OHSA regulations. While compliance is a good starting point (and is obviously mandatory), there is more to warehouse fire safety than compliance. Below are a few misconceptions about warehouse fire safety.
 
  • My warehouse just passed a fire inspection therefore it must be up to code.
  • My warehouse is up to code therefore it must be safe.
  • My warehouse was designed with a sprinkler system therefore it can’t burn down.
As much as we all talk about safety coming first, safety projects rarely rate high on our prioritized project lists. The difficulty in obtaining applicable safety and compliance information and the fear of opening a “can-o-worms” by using outside help combined with the fact that you may have just passed a fire inspection makes it easier to justify perpetuating ignorance of safety issues. And certainly most companies can operate under these conditions and never have a serious fire. Unfortunately, some companies will have a serious fire and the difference between a small financial loss and a catastrophic loss with the potential for loss of life will come down to the level of fire safety knowledge and the application of that knowledge to warehouse design and operational practices.

Fire inspections can vary significantly from one jurisdiction to another and from one inspector to another. Generally, fire inspectors are looking for housekeeping-type hazards such as blocked exits, blocked aisles, damaged sprinkler systems, missing or neglected fire extinguishers and exit lights, accumulations of flammable debris, or misuse of electrical equipment such as extension cords. A fire inspector can’t possibly inspect and evaluate the hazard classifications of all the product stored and verify the engineering specifications of a sprinkler system on a walk through inspection. If you’ve made changes to the composition of the products being stored, the types of packaging used, or the storage configuration, it is unlikely that the inspector will be aware of this unless you bring it to his or her attention. And when is the last time you volunteered to give unsolicited information during an inspection.

Fire codes are designed to achieve a minimum level of safety; even though the level of detail in the codes is extensive they can’t possibly cover every hazard or combinations of hazards. To use traffic laws as an analogy, just because you are obeying traffic laws does not mean that you will not get into an accident. The same is true of fire codes; they are designed to reduce the opportunities for fires to start, reduce the opportunities for fires to spread, provide for evacuation of occupants, and provide access for fire fighters to extinguish the fire.

Sprinkler systems are engineered to cover a specific commodity classification in a specific storage configuration. Changes such as introducing a new product line, using a different packaging material, or changing from wood pallets to plastic pallets can increase your hazard classification and render your sprinkler system inadequate to control a fire. Also, changing the size of pallets or the way product is stacked in racking can infringe on flu space requirements, reducing the ability of the sprinkler system to control a fire. It’s also a common misconception that sprinkler systems are designed to extinguish fires. Although they can be designed to extinguish fires, systems designed to meet minimum code requirements are only expected to help control the spread of the fire until the fire department arrives to extinguish it. The fact is, every year buildings with inadequate sprinkler systems burn to the ground.

So how do you determine the level of fire protection your warehouse has/needs? A combination of a little education and employing the services of a fire protection engineer will go a long way. Interpreting fire codes can get very complicated and evaluating your system’s engineering is not a do-it-yourself project. However, having someone on staff with some basic knowledge of the fire codes will help you ensure you get the best results from working with a fire protection engineer and allow you to quickly identify when operational changes may compromise the original fire protection design. Balancing safety issues with operational issues is rarely a simple task. An overly cautious fire protection design may result in significant loss of storage capacity, high costs, or create ongoing maintenance issues (such as those related to in-rack sprinklers) without necessarily reducing your exposure to hazards. While an under designed system could mean loss of life and property.

Intro to fire codes. The best way to become familiar with the fire codes is to read the codebooks. If there is a fire codebook written for amateurs, it will be hard to find so you’re going to have to spend some time learning to navigate the actual codebooks and interpret the codes. To make this a little more confusing, there are a number of organizations that publish fire codes. Individual provinces / states and municipalities will then adopt the codes put out by a specific organization. In addition, the provinces / states or municipalities can also amend the codes they adopt to include additional codes. There are also a lot of provisions left up to the discretion of the local fire chief. Just a note: In the event of conflicts interpreting the fire code, the fire code is “whatever the local fire chief says it is”.
You will find in going through the codes that in certain cases you may be referred to a separate publication for additional code information such as publications put out by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) on specifications for sprinkler systems or storage of aerosols.
The following are some code requirements and recommendations that apply to many warehouse operations. I’ll again note that specific code requirements will vary depending upon your municipality and storage characteristics.
 
  • Although some smaller warehouses may not legally require them, automated sprinkler should be considered as standard requirement in any warehouse.
  • Storage should be maintained at least 18 inches below sprinkler head deflectors.
  • In racked storage, transverse flue spaces of at least 3 inches should be maintained. Transverse flue space is the space to either side of a racked pallet.
  • In racked storage, longitudinal flue spaces of at least 6 inches should be maintained. Longitudinal flue space is the space between the rows of back-to-back rack. It is important to note that the flue space is measured as the distance between the loads, not the distance between the racks. In a standard pallet rack configuration you will usually have 3 inches of pallet overhang, calculating this into the flue space would require the rows of rack to be at least 12 inches apart.
  • Most warehouses meeting the above flue space requirements do not require in-rack sprinkler systems. Racking with solid decking, storage configurations that prevent maintaining the flue spaces, storage of high hazard materials, or storage greater than 40 feet in height will probably require in-rack sprinklers.
  • Dead end aisles must not be more than 50 feet in length.
  • In solid piled floor storage there must be an aisle at least every 100 feet and within 50 feet of walls when materials are stored against the wall. Essentially this means that any portion of the solid piled storage should be within 50 feet of an aisle.
  • During restocking operations using manual stocking methods (using stock carts, rolling ladders, etc.) a minimum unobstructed aisle width of 24 inches or ½ the aisle width, whichever is greater, must be maintained.
  • During mechanical stocking operations a minimum unobstructed aisle width of 44 inches must be maintained.
  • Automated material handling equipment such as carousels and ASRS units will have additional code requirements to prevent the equipment’s motion from spreading a fire.
  • Smoking is prohibited in warehouses and no smoking signs are required.
  • Battery charging areas have specific code requirements including ventilation, acid neutralization, eye wash stations, and spill control systems.
  • Liquid Propane fuel cylinders used on LP forklifts should not be stored within 20 feet of fire exits and are limited to a maximum quantity of 300 lbs per storage location. This is the equivalent of six 43 lb cylinders or nine 33lb cylinders. Empty cylinders are considered full for this calculation. If additional storage locations are required they must be separated by a minimum of 300 feet.
  • One word: Plastics. Plastic content is the single storage characteristic most likely to contribute to a class IV or Class V high-hazard commodity classification. The classification is based upon the type of plastic and the overall content, measured by percent by weight for unexpanded plastics and percent by volume and weight for expanded plastics. This is where operational changes such as changing packaging materials from paper based to polystyrene or changing from wooden to plastic pallets can have a substantial impact.
  • Another word: Aerosols. “Rocketing” is a term used to describe the ability of aerosol containers to propel themselves across a warehouse, carrying a trail of fire behind them. There is a whole series of codes dedicated to the storage requirements for aerosol products. Depending upon the chemical content and the amount of aerosols stored (measured by weight), separation areas, chain-link fence enclosures, fire walls, and additional sprinkler protection may be required.
  • One last word: Hazardous Materials. Flammable liquids, solids, and gasses, explosives, oxidizers, and reactive materials fall under the category of Hazardous materials and have their own series of codes that apply. You’re definitely going to need some expert guidance when storing these types of materials.
Obviously there are a lot of other code requirements including basic fire safety requirements such as not blocking fire exits and maintenance and placement of portable fire extinguishers. And, in addition to the fire codes you may also be subject to OHSA and Environmental and Building Code Regulations.

Beyond Compliance. As previously mentioned, compliance is only intended to provide a certain minimum level of safety. When working with a fire protection engineer you will likely want to incorporate additional safety measures. When designing a new system it is also recommended to investigate installing a design capable of handling a higher hazard classification. Should your product line or storage needs change in the future it can be very expensive to change your existing system to accommodate the higher hazard classification. There are also a lot of operational issues that relate to fire safety that should be considered. Like everything else in your operation, the level of fire safety will be greatly impacted by the procedures and training provided to the employees.
 
  • Evacuation Plans. It is extremely important to make it absolutely clear to employees what they are expected to do in the event of a fire or the sounding of the fire alarm. The most common reaction by employees to the fire alarm sounding is to look to their supervisor to see if they should leave the building, or look to other employees to see what they are doing. Employees should be informed that whenever they hear the fire alarm they should immediately leave the building unless they have been given previous notification of an alarm test. It should also be made clear that they should leave through the nearest exit. Warehouse workers are usually not stationary so assigning a specific exit rarely applies. I recall an employee during a drill walking across the entire warehouse, passing several fire exits on his way to his “assigned” exit. Now I would certainly hope that had the employee seen an actual fire, he would not have walked into it to get to his assigned exit, but “you never know”. Also, if employees are required to perform certain tasks prior to leaving the building, such as shutting down a piece of equipment, they should be given specific instructions on the task and also under what conditions they should perform the task and under what conditions they should immediately evacuate.
  • Fire Extinguisher Training. Employees should be trained on the use and locations of fire extinguishers. This is especially true of employees working in areas where there are known ignition sources.
  • Trash Accumulation. Large accumulations of trash and debris can be a potential fire hazard as well as a hindrance to evacuation. Adequate containers should be provided and specific duties assigned for removing the trash as containers fill. There should also be designated areas for storage of pallets, crates, etc. It’s also a good idea to limit the stack height of loose pallets to six feet.
  • Designate floor storage and staging areas. Using tape or paint to designate floor areas approved for storage or staging of materials will make it easier to enforce safety issues related to blocked aisles etc.
  • Incorporate safety training into your regular operational procedures and training. Safety procedures and training are often handled as a separate issue. You’ll find it more effective to incorporate safety procedures into your specific task procedures and training. Issues related to clear flue spaces, sprinkler clearance, aisle clearances, evacuation plans, battery charging and propane cylinder handling should be part of the employee's regular training program.
  • Maintain open communication with your local fire department. Make sure the fire department is aware of the additions of high hazard materials to your warehouse or changes in storage configurations. If you do have a fire it’s extremely important that the fire fighters know what they are walking into.
  • Make sure additional precautions are taken during construction and maintenance projects. If you have contractors working in or around your building, make sure additional measures such as additional fire extinguishers are used, especially if work is being done on a roof or other area where fire extinguishers are not present. Also make special plans if you have to shut down the sprinkler system for any reason. You may need to shut down certain operations, provide supplemental fire protection, or provide physical 24 hr monitoring of the building during this period.
Maintaining an environment that provides safety to occupants and reduces the risk of property loss requires not only the initial system engineering, but also attention to safety in day-to-day operational practices and the knowledge of when operational changes may require re-evaluation of your fire protection systems.
 
Summary
 
Warehouse work involves a wide range of tasks and hence a wide range of health and safety hazards. Here are some of the injuries and illnesses that can occur:
 
  • cuts and amputations from the use of knives, cutters, saws, packaging tools and materials
  • burns from contact with live electrical conductors or hot equipment engines
  • crushing injuries from material handling equipment and processes.
  • electric shock or electrocution from power tools, defective switch panels, accidental contact with electric power lines, or cleaning of equipment that hasn’t been turned off
  • slips and falls from slippery or cluttered floors or inadequate lighting
  • soreness and loss of function of wrists and arms due to repeated awkward movements or vibration, or working in one position for a long time
  • back pain from lifting heavy or awkward loads and using awkward postures z itching, swelling, redness of skin from temperature
  • extremes, physical abrasion, exposure to detergents or cleaning solutions
  • allergies and skin disorders from contact with metals and contaminated packages, inhalation of dusts and plant materials
  • illness due to exposure to chemicals and pesticides, or contact with packages contaminated with biological infectious materials such as animal droppings
  • carbon monoxide poisoning from internal combustion engine emissions due to poor vehicle maintenance and inadequate ventilation
  • battery charging hazards from electric powered forklifts and other battery powered equipment

    This guide presents ways of working safely to prevent injuries and illnesses in a warehouse.
Table of Contents
 
Section I Basic Rules of Safety
  1. The Law Says
  2. Elements of On-the-Job Safety
  3. Safety Tips for New Employees
  4. Safety Tips for Supervisors
Section II Maintaining High Standards of Safety
  1. Accident Investigation and Reporting
  2. Safety Inspections
  3. Sample Inspection Checklist
  4. First Aid
Section III Hazards and Safety Tips
  1. Ergonomics
  2. Housekeeping
  3. Indoor Air Quality
  4. Confined Space.
  5. Lockout Procedures
Section IV Emergency Preparedness
  1. Emergency Guidelines
  2. Hazardous Material Spills
  3. Spill Procedures
  4. Fire Control
  5. Eyewash Stations and Emergency Showers
Section V Warehouse and Terminals
  1. Warehouse
  2. Terminals
SectionVI Manual Materials Handling
  1. General Safety Tips on Lifting and Moving
  2. Specific Methods for Specific Container Type
Section VII Materials Handling
  1. Shipping and Packing
  2. Materials Handling Equipment
Section VIII Powered Vehicles for Moving and Lifting
  1. Personal and General Safety
  2. Motorized Vehicles
Section IX Material Storage
  1. General Safety Tips
  2. Storage Units
  3. Hazardous Materials
Section X The Work Environment
  1. Vibration
  2. Noise
  3. Dust
  4. Lighting
  5. Working in Hot Environments.
  6. Working in Cold Environments
  7. Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation
Section XI Occupational Health and Safety Legislation
  1. What Does the OH&S Legislation Say?
  2. Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
  3. Fire Code
  4. Building Code
  5. Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act
  6. Emergency Spill Reporting and Assistance
Section XII Information Sources
 
1. General Safety Tips on Lifting and Moving
 
Risks
  • Back injury
  • Muscle and joint injury of the hands, shoulders and waist
  • Strains, sprains, slips, falls
  • WEAR safety shoes and gloves.
  • WARM up (stretch your muscles) before lifting.
  • MINIMIZE manual lifting. Design the workplace to avoid lifts or transfers. Use mechanical aids such as hoists and transfer tables.
  • KNOW the weight of an item which you plan to lift. Get help for heavy or bulky items.
  • GRIP with the whole hand, not just the fingers. The palms of the hand have the greatest gripping area and strength.
  • AVOID grasping areas near pinch and shear points or the ends of long items.
  • KEEP the load close to your body. Face in the direction of the lift to avoid having to turn as the final action of a lift.
  • LET your legs do the lifting, not your back. When turning, use your legs and your feet.
  • LIMIT lifts to the range between your wrists and your shoulders.
  • PLAN before lifting. Anticipate distance, stairs, ramps and obstacles, and know where to set the load down.
  • PLAN for clearance to avoid getting pinched hands or fingers.
  • PLACE items on blocks or shims on flat surfaces to avoid getting pinched fingers.
  • DO NOT lift with wet or oily hands.
  • DO NOT turn by rotating at the waist.
  • DO NOT bend sideways at the waist.
  • DO NOT attempt to lift heavy items if you are not in good physical condition or do not lift regularly.
  • Get help or use a mechanical aid.
  • DO NOT attempt to jerk an item off a surface to raise it.
  • DO NOT drop an item to put it down. Slide it onto a surface then gradually release it.
  • DO NOT climb on shelves to reach items.
  • DO NOT lift heavy or bulky items over guardrails. Use forklifts or other lifting platforms.
  • DO NOT move pickers or platforms without warning others and checking for other traffic, particularly if entering or crossing an aisle.
  • DO NOT operate in an area where the platform or operator is near electrical power lines or lights.
2. Materials Handling Equipment
 
Risks
  • Slips, trips, falls
  • Crushed hands
  • Collisions
General
  • KNOW the weight of the object to be moved.
  • KNOW the capacity of the handling device to be used.
Carts
  • USE a cart designed for the job.
  • WEAR gloves and safety boots when using carts.
  • USE carts with the largest diameter wheels practical.
  • USE carts with hand guards.
  • PUSH carts when possible. Pushing is easier on the back than pulling, and prevents the cart from catching your heels.
  • PUSH from the end, not the sides.
  • WALK at a normal or slow pace when pushing a cart.
  • PULL carts through swinging doors.
  • ANCHOR unstable or top heavy loads.
  • STORE carts in designated areas with handles in the up position. Remove removable draw handles and store separately.
  • LUBRICATE wheel bearing and other moving parts on a regular basis.
  • DO NOT drop wheels off the edges of bridge plates or platforms.
  • NEVER stand on a cart or use it to transport workers. DO NOT cut corners or pass too close to obstacles or walls— avoid jamming your hands.
  • DO NOT overload a cart or pile materials which obstruct your view.
  • DO NOT use a damaged cart, particularly a cart with faulty wheels.
  • Two-Wheeled Carts (hand trucks)
  • PROVIDE knuckle guards to protect hands from being jammed against obstructions.
  • USE carts with the wheels as far forward as practical.
  • KEEP FEET CLEAR of the wheels.
  • STORE carts with the tongue under a pallet, shelf, or table.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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