HSE statistics show that in the past 20 years there has been a downward trend in the rate of fatal injury in the workplace, though in recent years this trend is showing signs of levelling off. Where accidents are the result of mishandling of dangerous or heavy goods, the importance of using the correct products and equipment is obvious. Strapping together bundles of material or securing them with pallet wrap is a safety precaution when materials are stored in warehouse racks or in transit, as it reduces the risk of products falling and causing injury.

All companies want to avoid health and safety problems. Not only is it dangerous for employees to work in an unsafe environment and use equipment that could potentially cause injury or discomfort, it reflects badly on the company and can leave it facing a fine. Providing workers with the correct equipment for the work they do not only makes for a more effective and efficient working environment, it helps keep workers and those in the surrounding environments safe. 

Secure and safe

Keeping pallets secure and safe is a vital role in all industries, whether it is through the use of pallet wrap or strapping; both have their benefits. The securing of a load should be a primary concern for all road users, particularly when transporting a significant volume of goods. It is not unknown to see pallets collapse onto roads or in warehouses with the resulting impact being expensive and potentially catastrophic. Securing loads is key to ensure they remain on vehicles on the road and to ensure that they do not present hazards when loading, travelling and unloading.

Wrapping pallets by hand is a common warehouse operation; unfortunately, health and safety can be an issue. Many high volume operations will use automatic pallet wrap machines, to ensure consistent wrapping, however when faced with having to wrap pallets by hand, companies sometimes do not realise the health and safety issues involved. for example:

• Traditional hand pallet wrapping may result in poor body mechanics
• Walking backwards can increase the risk of a trip hazard
• Badly wrapped pallets may result in pallets collapsing during transit or on an operator
• Bending whilst stretching the film can put 50% more stress through the back

These common hazards can be easily reduced with the use of correct equipment and training. Kite’s 5×5 pallet wrap hand dispenser system, for example, offers a solution. It is designed to improve efficiency and comfort, requires no bending or stretching and encourages the operator to walk forward, improving wrapping speed and reducing fatigue. Ensuring pallets are uniformly wrapped and less film is wasted, Kite’s 5×5 consistently wraps pallets and reaches optimum levels when the film is stretched – improving puncture resistance. The pre-stretch rollers provide efficiency with an average time of 1 minute to wrap a pallet. The system is said to requires less stock and to reduce storage by 60%. Packaging waste is decreased by up to 70%. 

Strapping (often referred to as banding) is commonly used throughout industries as a key method for sealing and securing goods. Its popularity is down mainly to the versatile range of materials, tools and applications available to companies who use strapping as their key packaging solution. Employed for bundling items together for easier handling, attaching items to pallets and crates, reinforcing cartons and boxes or fastening goods together; strapping in all its forms is increasing in popularity.

In order to maintain the integrity of a load as it travels through the supply chain or warehouse, it is key to use the appropriate strapping. Securing and stabilising loads (commonly pallets of heavy items) while in transit, ensures pallets don’t de-stabilise, products don’t get damaged and health and safety problems are avoided.