Lifting heavy equipment can be extremely dangerous. It is crucial that correct training and equipment is used to prevent accidents and fatalities in the workplace.
Last year it was reported that a 37 year old warehouse worker died in a tragic accident on his first shift as saw operator for a business in the Cardiff docks area.
There were no eye witnesses to the accident but it is believed that the worker may have been attempting to attach lifting chains around a girder unsupervised. Staff members found him pinned between two pieces, attempts were made to remove the girder but Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Although training was provided, there was no clear instruction about which method for moving or cutting the two tonne steel columns should be used. It came to light that the company did not have written guidance on how to lift the girders, leaving their employees to create their own ways.
The company was fined £112,000 and ordered to pay £98,000 in costs.
Accidents like these, whether they end in a fatality like the above case, or a worker ends up hurt are tragic, because they are so easily preventable.
As an employer it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees are working in a safe environment by providing comprehensive training to all your employees and training them to use the right equipment and wear the correct PPE at all times.
Before engaging in any type of heavy lifting, you need to ensure that all of your equipment meets or exceeds the working load limit (WLL) of the load you are planning on lifting or moving.
Additionally you must also ensure that any lifting tasks are correctly planned, supervised and conducted in a safe manner, with people who are fully trained to use the equipment needed. You must also perform an inspection of all the lifting equipment that you will be using. Do not use equipment that is worn or damaged in any way.
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