The General Safety Regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act 85 of 1993 deal with the stacking of articles under heading 8. It states that no employer shall require or permit the building of stacks that consists of successive tiers unless the stacking operation is executed by or under the supervision of a person with specific knowledge and experience of this type of work.
Section 8 of the OHS Act states that an employer will provide a working environment that is safe and without risk to his or her employees. He or she will also provide information and training to ensure the health and safety of the employees. Training your staff on correct stacking and storage procedures is therefore crucial where this activity is undertaken in the workplace.
Course entails:
- Legal requirements for Stacking and Storage – The requirements as is outlined in the OHS Act is discussed to ensure that the operation is undertaken safely;
- Safe working systems – To prevent personal injury everyone involved in stacking and storage needs to have a general understanding of a safe working system;
- Stacking procedures – The various factors that need to be considered to ensure safe stacking and de-stacking is discussed;
- Stacking different types of goods – Material shape, size, and type along with the type of stacking equipment available would affect how the stacking process should be undertaken;
- Workplace hazards – Learners will be taught how to identify and control risks in the workplace in order to reduce or prevent injury;
- Safety inspections – The importance of safety inspections and the contents of a safety inspection is discussed to prepare learners for the task of stacking and storage at the workplace;
- Fire safety – In a warehouse where a lot of materials are kept fires may easily erupt with catastrophic results. The need for good housekeeping is discussed along with the importance of a fire prevention programme in the workplace.
