The shipping and cold storage room at Pick 'n Pay produce (fruit and vegetable) warehouse is a busy place. Twelve foot vertical racks in the cold storage room hold multiple pallets. Some of the fruit is tightly packed and over ripe. The boxes are heavy and sometimes damp. Electric forklifts move pallets from place to place, including an outdoor dock where transportation trucks are loaded all year round by the forklifts.
The manager is giving a tour of the area to the boss’s nephew who will be working there for the summer. The manager wants to impress upon the young man that this is serious work with a variety of hazards.
Questions
What major safety and health (including ergonomic) hazards can you identify and control? Can you link these to their potential impact on worker health and safety?