A local authority inspector visited a large department store during the “Backs 2005” campaign. A significant number of manual handling problems were identified in the Loading Bay and the Sub-Basement stock areas including:

• Loading dock level unsuitable for many of the delivery vehicles, creating additional manual handling operations
• Variable size and weight of stock items being manually loaded on to and from a conveyor belt, with significant twisting of the trunk
• Large variety of trolleys of variable quality
• Flooring problems which impeded movement of trolleys
• Unsuitable and inefficient racking/shelving giving rise to space constraints and many manual-handling problems.

The store responded very positively to the “Backs” campaign visits. The campaign resulted in a detailed analysis of the way incoming goods were being handled, distributed throughout the store and stored in stock rooms. This had led to a significant investment programme planned to last two years.

The key changes proposed include:

• dock-levelling systems to accommodate all sizes of delivery vehicles
• Improved lighting in the loading bay, particularly in the dock areas
• Palletisation systems to minimise manual handling operations
• Removal of the outdated conveyor systems – palletised goods to be transferred from Dock to Sub Basement by goods lifts
• More use of motorised pallet trucks to move goods around the basement
• Increased width of passageways in the Sub-Basement to facilitate passing of pallet trucks, with adequate pedestrian separation
• Improved racking and more efficient use of space
• Replacement of flooring where necessary with a more durable surface
• Improved traffic management arrangements in the loading bay to minimise pedestrian traffic across the path of delivery vehicles.

The company has said these major improvements and investments will not only resolve many health and safety problems but will greatly improve the efficiency of the store.