Department of Labor and Employment

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER

MATERIALS HANDLING
and STORAGE

BASIC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH TRAINING
SAFETY CONTROL DIVISION
Objectives:
This module will help you:

 Demonstrate safe method of manual

lifting and handling of materials
 Discuss the different types of mechanical
handling equipment
 Enumerates best practices for material
storage

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
MATERIALS HANDLING
SAFETY

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 MATERIALS HANDLING

A technique which
includes the art of
lifting, placing, storing
or moving of materials
through the use of
appropriate handling
equipment and men.

Department of Labor and Employment 4
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Take note!

Lifting and moving things at work is

something you probably do every day…

…unfortunately, it’s also an everyday cause

of disabling injuries and even deaths!

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Materials Handling Accidents

National Safety Council (NSC) shows

that improper materials handling
accounts for 20% - 25% of all
occupational injuries.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Hazards Associated with
Materials Handling
• Failure of the lifting equipment
• Falling load
• Collisions
• Entrapment between materials
and/or equipment

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Materials Handling Injuries

Manual materials handling is riskier than

one might think. It could lead to:
 strains,
 sprains,
 wounds,
 fractures, and
 hernias.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS
HANDLING OPERATION
Manual Handling
• is the of lifting, transporting and packaging of
products using own physical strength.
• Hand operated handling, transporting and
packaging of products.

Mechanical Handling
• pertains to more rigid, powered and non-powered
mechanics mainly for handling bulky and heavy
items

Department of Labor and Employment 9
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 MANUAL HANDLING –
MISTAKES THAT CAUSE INJURIES
• Bending Back
• Twisting with load
• Attempting to much weight
(load too heavy)
• Reaching too far
• Failure to use personal
PPE, such as gloves, safety
shoes

Department of Labor and Employment 10
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Proper Procedure of Manual Lifting

 Stand close to the load and face the way you

intend to move
 Keep feet apart
 Be sure you have a good grip on the load
 Look forward to keep back straight
 Keep arms straight
 Tighten abdominal muscles
 Tuck chin into the chest

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 HUMAN BODY ANATOMY

Meet you body

Your Back WEAK

Protect it

Your Legs STRONG

Use their power to lift

correctly…. And safely

Department of Labor and Employment 12
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
LIFTING COMPARISON

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Protective Clothing Needed in
Manual Materials Handling

DO WEAR
 lightweight, flexible, tear and puncture-
resistant clothing,
 safety boots with toe caps and slip-resistant
soles, and
 protective gloves, appropriate for the
materials being handled.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 Reminders for A Safe Manual Handling

1. Inspect materials for sharp edges, burrs, rough or 
slippery surfaces.
2. Get a firm grip on the object.
3. Keep fingers away from pinch points, especially 
when setting down materials.
4. Wipe off greasy, wet, slippery, or dirty objects 
before trying to handle them.
5. Never attempt to lift that are either too heavy or 
bulky to handle safely.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Seek help -

• When a load is too bulky to 
properly grasp or lift 
• When you can’t see around or 
over the load
• When you can’t safely handle 
the load

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Mechanical Materials Handling

As the name suggests, this pertains

to use of rigid, manually or
mechanically-powered equipment
mainly for handling bulky and heavy
items.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 MECHANICAL HANDLING
Non‐Power Driven
• Wheeler/hand truck
• Wheelbarrow
• Cart
• Drum tilter
• Trolley
• Hand pallet (pallet jack)
• Lever hoist
• Chain hoist

Department of Labor and Employment 18
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Manually Powered Materials
Handling Equipment

 to reduce physical effort making the

handling of materials easier and safer
 to provide easy access
 to protect the operator
 to prevent any damage to the
material.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 POWER‐DRIVEN LIFTING EQUIPMENT TYPES

• Elevators and Dumbwaiters
• Electric Hoist 
• Cranes 
– Stationary
• Tower Cranes, 
• Overhead Traveling Cranes
• Gantry Cranes 
– Mobile 
• Wheel Type
• Crawler Type

Department of Labor and Employment 20
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
POWER‐DRIVEN TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT TYPES

• Forklift
• Tractor
• Dump Truck
• Conveyor
• Motorized Pallet Jacks

Department of Labor and Employment 21
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Safety Precautions in Crane Operation
• Do not carry or use crane beyond the rated 
load
• Never move load over people. 
• Never allow personnel to ride on a load.
• Center the crane over the load before 
starting to hoist.
• Lift, move & lower loads smoothly.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Safety Precautions in Crane Operation

• Hoists and Cranes should be inspected 
before use, every time.
• Never stand under a suspended load.

Department of Labor and Employment
23
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Industrial Safety Lecture Four 3/4/2016
Safe Working Load shall be plainly
marked on every Lifting Appliance.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 Industrial Truck Safety
Popular Misconceptions

• “Anyone can drive a lift truck.”
• “They handle just like a car.”
• “They are easier to drive than a car.”
• “You don’t need any training to safely drive a 
fork lift.”

Department of Labor and Employment
25
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Industrial Safety Lecture Four 3/4/2016
 Industrial Truck Safety Facts

• The center of gravity of a lift truck changes.
• Most trucks are “rear steer.”
• Most trucks have no suspension system.
• It is NOT safe to alter the lift truck’s 
counterweight!

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 The Center of gravity of a forklift-load
combination can move outside the
stability triangle if the the load is picked
up on the tips of the forks or the load is
tilted forward.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 Industrial Truck Safety
 Only employees who have been tested and certified should be
permitted to operate.
 Traffic rules must be observed.
 Forklift should be operated with forks or pallet about 100 mm off
the floor.
 On down grades a loaded truck should proceed with the load last,
and on upward grades, with the load first.
 The truck must be so controlled that an emergency stop can be
made within the clear distance ahead.
 The operator’s legs and feet must be kept inside the guard or
operating station of the truck at all times.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 Conveyors Safety Facts
• To prevent the possibility of an injury, pull cord
designed to stop the conveyor must be
installed at the employee's work station.
• Most injuries for people working on conveyors
involve fingers, hands, and arms.
• Accidents can be prevented if workers are
careful to turn off the power and lock it out if
servicing or maintenance is conducted.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 MECHANICAL HANDLING GENERAL 
REQUIREMENTS
• Operators must be under skills 
training and must be authorized.

• Equipment must be regularly 
inspected and maintained.

Department of Labor and Employment 30
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 MATERIALS STORAGE

Materials should be stored neatly

and orderly. A variety of ways and
means could easily be adopted and
maintained.

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
PRINCIPLES OF MATERIAL STORAGE

SAFETY ACCESSIBILITY

ORDERLINESS

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
MATERIALS STORAGE ROOM 
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
• Storage areas should have at least two exits.
• Should be properly illuminated and ventilated.
• Materials are properly identified and labeled (including 
hazard labels).
• Restricted Access

Department of Labor and Employment 33
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 MATERIALS STORAGE GENERAL 
REQUIREMENTS
• Must have a smooth flow of materials, material 
handling equipment and people.
• Storage areas must be kept free from accumulated 
materials that may cause tripping, fires, or explosions, 
or that may contribute to the harboring of rats and 
other pests).
• When stacking and piling materials, it is important to 
be aware of such factors as the materials' height and 
weight, how accessible the stored materials are to the 
user, and the condition of the containers where the 
materials are being stored.  
Department of Labor and Employment 34
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 MATERIALS STORAGE GENERAL 
REQUIREMENTS
• Stored materials must not create a 
hazard.
• Should have proper danger or warning 
signs.
• Materials & material handling 
equipments should not obstruct 
emergency equipment such as fire 
alarm buttons, evacuation map, first 
aid kits, fire extinguishers (portable or 
fixed) etc.
Department of Labor and Employment 35
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 SAFE PRACTICES: STORAGE RACKS

• Storage racks should have

adequate bracing and support.
• Storage racks should have
markings indicating its capacity.
• Storage racks should be bolted
to the ground.

Department of Labor and Employment 36
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 Tips on MATERIAL STORAGE

Use mobile storage

Two-Sided
Movable Rack
Rack on Wheels

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 When Storing Materials
• Place large, heavy packages on the bottom and 
lighter ones on top.
• Never place materials where they can be tripped 
over or where someone could get hurt attempting 
to retrieve them.
• When materials are moved to where you are 
working, they should be secured so they can’t fall 
on anyone.
• Never block a traffic path or prop materials up 
against a wall where they might slide over and 
cause an accident.

Department of Labor and Employment
38
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Industrial Safety Lecture Four 3/4/2016
SUMMARY:
Five basic rules for safe storage:
– Keep total weight within the safe loading limits of 
the building’s floors.
– Keep passageways clear.
– Control materials so they do not slide, fall, or 
collapse. 
– Provide cribbing for heavy loads on unstable 
surfaces.
– Store materials away from traffic.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
SUMMARY:
Safe Handling Procedure

− Be alert for hazards.

− Follow company safety regulations.
− Take your time and don't take chances.
− Use proper lifting techniques.
− Get help or mechanical assistance.
− Wear protective gear.
− Keep an eye on what others are doing.
− Let other workers know what you're doing

Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER

BASIC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH TRAINING
SAFETY CONTROL DIVISION