Stacking Safety Do’s & Don’ts
People get killed when materials in the workplace aren’t properly stacked. Sometimes the stack collapses on top of them; sometimes they get crushed by an object that falls from the stack. It may be a trip, slip, fall, fire, chemical spill or any other kind of incident. The potential scenarios are endless. And in many cases, they’re the cause of a worker’s carelessness. What never changes, though, is the imperative to ensure that workers engaged in stacking or unstacking operations, or who work on or near stacks are aware of and exercise proper safety practices. Here are some basic stacking safety do’s and don’ts.
DO’S
Stack material only in the designated area, which should be clearly marked and in the charge of a responsible worker
Mark or label the location of each item to be stacked after carefully determining its type, shape, load, uses, etc.
Stack heavy materials at the bottom levels
Stack light materials can at the top levels
Stack items that are most likely to be used first in the front where they’ll be accessible
Stack items that are likely to be used later behind the first use items
Provide a small compartment or holders for small loose items
Ensure stacks don’t block or interfere with walkways, escape routes, emergency systems, emergency equipment or doors
Maintain a gap of about 1 m between the stack and roofs, ceilings, light fixtures and sprinkler heads
Maintain a free space of about 1 m on all sides of the stacked material and a space of 450 mm on the wall side
Stack material only on firm, level surfaces that you know are capable of supporting the load
If necessary, provide packaging or pallets where appropriate
Use handling accessories
Use mechanical assistance to eliminate the need for manual handling
Perform a risk assessment where manual manipulation is unavoidable
Ensure that no sharp edges of the materials jut out toward the walkways
Store hazardous materials or chemicals with their WHMIS Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
Perform housekeeping to avoid debris, remove garbage and remove combustible material to minimize the risk of fire
Stack small pipes in the holder
Ensure that stacks of large pipes are securely wedged with a stopper at the base
Store materials of different lengths in separate piles
Ensure there’s enough separation to allow loading, unloading or stacking of material easily when designing and installing the racks
Provide suitable means of access, including a ladder where necessary, for workers required to climb or remove material from stacks
Ensure proper signaling and communication between the rigger and equipment operator
Use drum rack for stacking drums
Use suitable method of stacking, either vertical or horizontal based on type of material
Provide steel post or other suitable barrier to protect the corners or ends of shelving and racks from damage by forklift of other powered machines
Use a ladder instead of standing on boxes or materials
Use appropriate PPE, including hard hat, gloves, safety shoes, etc.
Use a fire protection partition when stacking different combustible or flammable material
Ensure you’re properly trained to stack the material safely
DON’TS
Don’t stack materials more than 3 times the base width
Don’t stack incompatible materials together
Don’t use a rack made of combustible materials and not likely to retain water
Don’t lean against temporary structures
Don’t stack materials more on the displaced material
Don’t keep legs close to the material or load while handling, as it tilts at any time
Don’t stack materials or load and unload materials near running machinery or near live electrical cables
Don’t keep fragile material at the bottom where it will be susceptible to break
Don’t stand on racks, shelf, boxes, chairs
Don’t stack materials in incompatible environments
Don’t stack materials in places where they’ll block escape routes, emergency equipment and pathways
Don’t stack the material within 450 mm of a wall’maintaining the clearance will allow for inspection
Don’t stack material directly on floor to protect from moisture or water logging
Don’t use damaged pallets or unsafe racks that may be prone to collapse
Don’t use faulty mechanical tools or machines for stacking the material