In the wood sector, the risks of lumbago and musculoskeletal problems are not negligible. Charpente Couverture decided to take measures to reduce these risks.

The task

The tasks dealt with in this example are those of storage, handling, and transport of carpentry components.

The risk

Poor storage increases the risk of the stacks falling over. Moreover, the space required and the weight of the elements can cause problems to the muscles and joints as well as lumbago due to bad posture and the great physical effort required to handle them.

The solution and the method

The initiative taken at Charpente Couverture had two principal objectives: first, to reduce the risks and improve the working conditions and, second, to improve the organization of the work sites. To this end, a pragmatic approach was adopted following identification of the problem and internal consideration.

The chosen solution consists of storing and wrapping carpentry elements for the work site on modified supports called racks.These racks are then loaded on a specially adapted trailer and placed in each work area by means of a lifting device.

This solution has resulted in a positive change in the work organization by rationalizing the preparatory phase of the work site. The risks of the stacks falling over have been eliminated as well as the risks associated with carrying heavy loads.

The application of this solution can be transferred to companies with similar kinds of work sites.

The effectiveness of the results

The risks are reduced as much as possible in this phase of the work.

The participation of the workers

The organization was done internally and the employees were involved in the implementation of a solution.

The costs and benefits

The solution has improved the working conditions and reduced the arduous nature of certain tasks and the risks associated with handling heavy loads. The organization of the work has also been improved.

Entrepreneur's testimony "For our company, safety cannot be dealt with outside of the general organization of production. This avoids then the need to change the operation of the company and permits better application of safety instructions, which are better understood."