Manual Material Handling – Know Your Responsibilities

Small OHS Habits That Make a Big Difference

In trucking, moving, and storage, safety does not depend only on large policies or fo ... rmal procedures. Those are important, but many incidents are also prevented through small, consistent habits that happen every day: stopping to check a work area, reporting a damaged strap, asking for a spotter, reviewing a route, or correcting a hazard before the next shift begins. A strong occupational health and safety program should be practical. It should help workers and supervisors make safer decisions during real work, not just sit in a binder or folder. For employers in B.C.’s trucking, moving, and storage industries, this means building occupational health and safety (OHS) into the daily tasks that already happen in yards, warehouses, shops, offices, vehicles, docks, and customer sites. Start With the Work in Front of You OHS works best when it reflects the actual work being done. A company may have written procedures for pre-trip inspections, loading, unloading, backing, lifting, equipment use, and incident reporting. However, conditions can change quickly. A delivery site may have poor lighting. A moving crew may arrive at a home with narrow stairs or limited parking. A warehouse may be busier than usual. A driver may face weather, traffic, road closures, or an unfamiliar loading dock. A storage facility may have customers, pedestrians, or contractors moving through the same space as vehicles and equipment. Before starting work, supervisors and workers should take a moment to ask: - What could hurt someone here? - Has anything changed since the last time we did this task? - Do we have the right people, equipment, and information? - What needs to be fixed before work starts? - When should we stop and call a supervisor? These questions do not need to slow the job down. In many cases, they help prevent confusion, rework, equipment damage, injuries, and delays. Make Hazard Reporting Normal Workers are often the first to notice hazards. They may see a damaged dock plate, a loose handrail, poor lighting, worn lifting equipment, an unsafe customer-site condition, a blocked walkway, a near miss in the yard, or a task that is being rushed. For hazard reporting to work, workers need to know three things: What should be reported Who they should report it to What will happen after they report it If workers report hazards but nothing changes, they may stop reporting. If supervisors respond quickly, explain the next step, and correct issues when possible, reporting becomes part of the safety culture. In trucking, moving, and storage, hazard reporting should include more than injuries. It should include near misses, unsafe worksite conditions, vehicle or equipment concerns, loading issues, customer-site hazards, and tasks that could not be completed safely. Use Supervisors as Safety Connectors Supervisors play a central role in OHS because they connect company procedures with day-to-day work. A supervisor may not be able to watch every task, especially when drivers and moving crews are working off-site, but they can still set expectations. Supervisors can support OHS by: - Reviewing hazards before work begins - Confirming workers understand the task - Checking that workers have the right equipment - Encouraging workers to report concerns early - Following up on near misses - Correcting unsafe conditions - Making it clear that workers should stop if a task cannot be done safely A strong supervisor message is simple: if something changes, stop and reassess. Keep Inspections Practical Workplace inspections are an important part of an OHS program, but they should be connected to real tasks. In a trucking, moving, or storage workplace, inspections may include yards, loading docks, warehouses, shops, vehicles, offices, storage areas, walking surfaces, emergency equipment, tools, and material handling equipment. Inspections should look for conditions that could affect workers during normal operations, such as: - Blocked walkways or exits - Poor lighting - Damaged ramps, docks, ladders, or stairs - Worn straps, dollies, carts, or lifting equipment - Slippery or uneven surfaces - Congested vehicle areas - Missing signs or unclear traffic flow - Unreported equipment defects - Poor housekeeping around work areas The inspection is only useful if the findings are acted on. Assign corrective actions, set due dates, and follow up to confirm the issue was fixed. Learn From Near Misses A near miss is a warning sign. It means something happened that could have caused an injury, even if no one was hurt. Near misses are especially important in vehicle and equipment operations because the difference between a close call and a serious incident can be very small. Examples may include: - A worker nearly struck by a backing vehicle - Freight shifting during unloading - A mover slipping on stairs but catching themselves - A forklift and pedestrian entering the same space - A driver discovering a defect before leaving the yard - A ramp moving unexpectedly during loading - A worker almost caught between a vehicle and a fixed object Near misses should be reviewed without blame. The goal is to understand what happened and what can be changed. Was the procedure unclear? Was the work rushed? Was the area too congested? Was communication missing? Was the equipment unsuitable? Did the worker need more training or support? When employers treat near misses as useful information, they can correct hazards before someone is injured. Make OHS Part of Orientation and Refresher Training Orientation is not just for new hires. Workers may need refresher training when they change roles, use new equipment, return after time away, work at a new site, or take on tasks with different hazards. In trucking, moving, and storage, orientation and refresher training should be specific to the work. A worker in a warehouse, a driver, a mover, a dispatcher, a yard worker, and a shop employee may all face different hazards. Training should reflect those differences. Topics may include: - Rights and responsibilities - Hazard reporting - First aid and emergency procedures - Vehicle and pedestrian safety - Loading and unloading procedures - Safe lifting and material handling - Working around mobile equipment - Backing and spotter expectations - Customer-site safety - Incident and near-miss reporting The goal is not to overwhelm workers with information. The goal is to give them the knowledge they need to do the work safely and to know when to ask for help. Build a Stronger Safety Routine OHS does not need to feel complicated. Start with a few consistent habits: - Check the work area before starting - Report hazards and near misses early - Stop when conditions change - Use the right equipment for the task - Keep vehicle and pedestrian areas clear - Follow up on inspection findings - Review procedures after incidents or close calls - Involve workers in solving safety problems For trucking, moving, and storage employers, these habits can reduce risk across many different settings: highways, yards, docks, warehouses, customer sites, shops, offices, and storage facilities. A strong OHS program is not only measured by what is written down. It is measured by what happens when workers notice a hazard, when supervisors respond to concerns, and when the company takes action before someone gets hurt. Small OHS habits, repeated consistently, can make a big difference.