No matter what type of unloading services you offer, a priority should always be keeping your workers safe at all times. After all, proper safety precautions often lead to higher degrees of productivity and fewer costs. For the sake of your workers’ health and your bottom line, it’s best to always keep transparent rules to prevent as many accidents as humanly possible.
For instance, one of the most common causes for unloading freight injuries comes in the form of lower back injuries. The pulling and/or straining of the lower back is often caused by poor form when moving cargo – very common, and even more avoidable with the right practices in place. It’s best for those providing unloading services to be taught how to lift things properly without injuring themselves.
The first step in preventing unnecessary accidents is ensuring that all vehicles, like forklifts and pallet jacks, as well as workers are fully stabilized before unloading. It doesn’t take much for a bad accident to happen, especially for unloading services that deal with heavy cargo. It’s just as important to make sure your workers have adequate lighting because compromised visibility in the dark is a major contributing factor towards workplace accidents.
Additionally, unloading areas should be inspected for any hazards, such as puddles or grease tracks that can result in slip and falls. Unloading freight professionals should have a clear, organized system to check for these hazards before they begin unloading. All cargo should be completely secured either via straps or plastic wrap to prevent any tipping from forklifts or pallet jacks. By taking these steps, unloading freight professionals can drastically reduce unnecessary injuries, while protecting valuable cargo in the process.
