During the loading and unloading of materials (merchandise) and their being moved by means of elevators and cranes, the risks are numerous and various. Boscolo Bielo thus developed safety measures on several levels to protect against the risk of accidents.

The task

Boscolo Bielo is active in the wholesale commercial sector for construction materials (transport of merchandise) and has developed safety measures on several levels: the wholesale of construction materials, the correct use of elevators and cranes, the loading onto and unloading of materials from boats used for interior lagoon transport (Venice).

In the warehouses in which the merchandise comes and goes, trailers - here boats - are loaded and unloaded. The handling operation consists mainly of unloading and loading boats. The quay is a large rectangular concrete surface surrounded by a series of docking sites where a shunter comes to load the trailers or the boats. The cargo handler who does the unloading receives a series of bills of lading with which he identifies the merchandise, finds it, and regroups it on a pushcart, which he takes to the destination indicated on the bills of lading. The cargo handler at this destination loads this merchandise taking care to assure balance and stability. He sometimes has to use a lift and also work manually or with wagons or dollies.

The more specific tasks that accident-prevention measures concern are the following:
- the worker responsible for loading the boats;
- the worker in charge of storing the materials;
- the worker on the boat in charge of loading and unloading the materials.

The working day consists of eight hours and requires serious physical effort on the part of these cargo handlers.

The work near lifts, the moving of the materials, and the manual shifting of loads involve additional risks.

The risk

The most frequent risks are mainly of accidents for the workers on the quai caused by the overlapping of the movement circuits on the worksite.

Different risk factors in the execution of these tasks were identified:

In relation to the type of task: risks of accidents and bruising, scrapes, cuts (slices), and scratches for the quai workers and those who work on the boats and who are in charge of stowing the merchandise.

In relation to the intensity of the task: the repeated lifting of heavy loads can injure the joints, cause pathology in the dorso-lumbar region (lumbago), and cause strains and/or tearing of the muscles.

In relation to the working conditions: for those who work on the boats, the risk of accidents arises not only from the movement of loads that are too heavy but from the precarious balance of the boat due to wave motion.

To these must also be added other risk factors such as bad weather conditions (ice, rain in winter, heat in summer) can cause accidents (slipping, falls from heights, etc.).

The solution and the method

The risks were analyzed and evaluated in the company. The result was that the solution could be found and adopted. The employer, with the cooperation of the advisors of the professional organization, Confartigianato, conducted an evaluation of the risks associated with the activity by means of a specific check list adapted to the realities of this activity sector. In particular, a detailed analysis was made of the accidents of the previous years. With the participation of the workers, the causes of these accidents were sought.

The safety measures include a very precise delineation of the routes most used by the transportation machines used to move the loads and by the workers. Then, it was necessary to reorganize the disposition of the materials on the worksite and to create obligatory routes for the transportation machines. The foreman of the worksite sees to it that the routes and the speed limits are respected and that the operations are performed correctly.

Other safety measures were implemented for the loading and unloading of the material on the boats and on the methods for stowing these boats.

As regards the workers involved directly:
One of the fundamental points of the adopted solution was the training program for the workers in charge of loading the boats. This training provided a detailed description of the risks associated with the job and all the accident-prevention measures to be adopted in the loading and unloading operations.

A special training program was developed for the workers who run the lifting equipment and for those who manually moved the loads.

The solution was implemented jointly with the Environmental Services Company of the professional association (Confartigianato).

The strategies implemented did not involve substantial changes or the introduction of new individual protection equipment but rather the introduction of a 'management' of safety with a view to improve the organization of the productive activity. In particular, they involved developing safety measures that have completely transformed the routes on the worksite and provided special training activities for the workers who had to load and unload the material. To complete the picture, special procedures have also been provided for workers of other companies who come in contact with this company.

The effectiveness of the results

The solution adopted can be applied perfectly in other companies, particularly those in the construction sector that frequently use movement and lifting machines for loads and, in particular, on worksites where the space is limited and where there is an overlapping of routes taken by the machines and the workers.

Although the measures applied did not eliminate all of the risks (in the risk evaluation it has been stressed that the risk cannot be totally eliminated), they did reduce them.

Globally, the risks have been reduced. The percentages of accidents occurred after the application of these safety measures testify to this.

The participation of the workers

The participation of the workers and their contribution to the implementation of the solution was fundamental. In particular, the contributions of each worker to the logistical solutions and the detailed description of their work certainly assisted in the attainment of the objectives.

The costs and benefits

- Reduction of the number of accidents in percentage for only the first year of application of the safety measures: 56%;
- Reduction of the rate of absenteeism during the first year of application of the safety measures: 59%;
- Reduction of the number of complaints: significant;
- Improvement of the work organization: improvement as regards the storage of the material and the loading of the customers’ boats;
- Improvement of the quality of the products: greater speed in the execution of the jobs by the workers thus improved the product flow.

Entrepreneur’s testimony "An accident in our company not only involves a loss in economic terms but also has a great effect in the relationship between the employer and the workers by creating a negative climate, also in the sectors where the tasks are simpler. If one also adds the the negative effects on the brand image and the inevitable impact on the community, it is obvious that a policy of good management of safety and accident prevention and of health in the company is fundamental. This implies that each one must take the responsibility for seeing to his own safety and health in function of the role that he plays in the company."