Port and distribution workers who play a crucial role in making sure items are delivered to buyers in the UK could be putting their health at risk.
Approximately 63.2 million tonnes of goods were handled by UK ports in 2015 in freight containers. These containers are opened on arrival by workers at Great Britain’s ports and distribution centers around the country. Workers who open or enter the containers could be exposed to dangerously low oxygen levels or to hazardous substances in the air which have built up as a result of limited ventilation while they are sealed.
To learn more about the potential risks to workers in their work with freight containers, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out research which involved visits to six ports and two distribution centers by HSE scientists. The scientists found a range of hazardous substances and low oxygen levels inside the containers which had the potential to affect workers who open or enter them.
Workers at ports and distribution centers in Great Britain (GB) routinely open and enter freight containers. Freight containers are confined spaces: they have limited or no ventilation in transit and hazardous atmospheres can build up inside. This depends on the contents, their condition, and the length of time in transit. Some hazardous atmospheres have the potential to harm workers if breathed in. For example, they may contain toxic substances such as fumigants and carbon monoxide or have dangerously low oxygen levels.
Potential harm includes asphyxiation and ill health. Duty holders must have effective control measures in place to protect workers. To read more on confined spaces or to book confined spaces training with us at MBO follow the link here Training for Confined Spaces | MBO Safety Services.
This research describes the potential for workers to be exposed, and control measures in use in Great Britain. The research included a review of scientific literature, and observations and measurements made in 2017 to 2019 at volunteer sites – six ports and two distribution centers. The literature from 2000 to 2015 had reports of ill health incidents outside GB. Measurements of the atmospheres inside freight containers at the volunteer sites found a wide range of toxic substances and low oxygen levels.
The researchers identified a range of good practice control measures at the six ports. Examples of good practice are training workers about the risks, and workers testing for hazardous substances in the atmosphere inside freight containers before entering them. The researchers did not find adequate safe systems of work at the two distribution centers. HSE is using these findings to inform engagement with the industry and local authority regulators
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Source of Information: HSE: Information about health and safety at work.