SCENARIO Bridgemont Distribution (BD) is a logistics organisation; it stores and distributes goods for customers across Europe. It operates from three main sites: BD1, BD2, and BD3. BD1 has the largest w

SCENARIO Bridgemont Distribution (BD) is a logistics organisation; it stores and distributes goods for customers across Europe. It operates from three main sites: BD1, BD2, and BD3.

BD1 has the largest warehouse, measuring 20 000m2. BD1 also has a large office for the senior management team, and a maintenance workshop. BD2 is located nearby and has a smaller warehouse (measuring 10 000m2), and also has a maintenance workshop. BD3, which has the smallest warehouse, is located further away and supports overflow operations. All three warehouses are constructed with steel frames and have 10-metre-high ceilings.

Across all sites, BD employs 600 warehouse workers operating across a day shift from 06:00 to 14:00, and an afternoon shift from 14:00 to 22:00. These warehouse workers include warehouse managers, supervisors, logistic co-ordinators, warehouse operatives, pickers, packers, powered industrial truck (PIT) operators, and maintenance engineers. Each warehouse also has a health and safety manager. You have been the health and safety manager for BD1 for the last two years.

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Three-year modernisation programme BD is halfway through a three-year modernisation programme. The office areas in BD1 have already been refurbished with new lighting, carpets, and ergonomic desks. A phased approach is being taken to create a more pleasant and efficient working environment across all three warehouses.

BD1 warehouse workers starting the morning shift have reported visibility issues when the lights have just been switched on. High ceiling sodium lamps are gradually being replaced with LED high bay systems, that are to be maintained by working at height. The aim is to improve visibility and to reduce shadows. Some workers have already seen the benefits due to the LED lighting, while other areas of the warehouse are still reliant on the older fixtures. Additional task lighting is also due to be installed in areas where intricate work is carried out on desks and benches.

The roofs across all three warehouses are made from asbestos cement sheets, and have glass skylights to allow for natural daylight. These roofs are all due for replacement as they are old and leak rainwater during heavy downpours. Some of the skylights have algae growth and leaves covering parts of their surfaces.

Work has also been planned to level uneven concrete surfaces inside all three warehouses, that are affected by raised iron works (drains and access covers). You and the other health and safety managers have started to review the warehouse fire detection and alarm systems. Currently, all three sites have wet sprinkler systems with glass bulb-activated sprinkler heads.

Warehouse operations Each day, stock arrives at each of the warehouse’s loading bays, where it is then unloaded using forklift trucks (FLTs). The stock is then checked by workers in the unloading area. Once checks have been completed, the items are distributed to appropriate racking locations via a combination of motorised roller conveyors, cranes, and FLTs. These conveyors have significantly reduced manual handling as they allow workers to handle small items at waist height. The lengths of the motorised roller conveyors vary between 5 metres and 30 metres, with electric motor drives and many individual rollers rotating. The size of the conveyors varies depending on operational demands. Some expandable motorised roller conveyors are available to use temporarily, when conveyors are scheduled for maintenance.

Painted white lines on the floors of the warehouses mark areas for vehicle movements and pedestrian walkways. Some of the floor markings appear faded and are less visible in high-traffic areas. The flooring of the loading bays has a slight slope downwards towards the delivery truck area, for drainage purposes.

The stock is stored inside the warehouses on tall pallet racks in each aisle. The range of stock is broad; from small fixings such as screws, washers and nails, to large parts for agricultural equipment such as combine harvesters and tractors. Digital systems help track inventory. Order picking varies depending on the size and weight of the item. Some items are picked manually by workers using utility carts (a cart with no motor, that resembles a table with wheels, to move smaller objects). Larger items require the use of a range of PITs, high-level order pickers (HLOPs), overhead cranes, and FLTs. Most of these vehicles are located within BD1 and BD2, with BD3 having only two FLTs.

Maintenance workshops in BD1 and BD2 support the warehouse and maintenance of the industrial vehicles and machinery. Maintenance of machinery has been carried out internally for many years using a planned preventative maintenance strategy. This is overseen by a maintenance team that includes a maintenance project manager (MPM) and is implemented using mechanical, electrical, and instrument maintenance engineers and technicians.

Motorised roller conveyors Two years ago, a worker-led safety improvement project was successfully completed to improve the safety features of the motorised roller conveyors. This included retrofitting additional emergency stop buttons (ESBs) to be within easy reach (two metres) of each workstation along the conveyor. Each location was marked with identical signage along the conveyors. Maintenance engineers suggested adding guarding underneath the conveyors to reduce ‘pinch points’ and risk of entanglement from moving parts. However, workers insisted that the space underneath the conveyors should always be kept clear to allow space for their feet.

BD3 deliveries BD3 receives regular deliveries of transmission fluid and agricultural oil, in drums. These deliveries are offloaded from delivery trucks using FLTs and moved to a dedicated bunded area in the warehouse. Signs near to this bunded area have become worn and are only visible at close range. The bunded area also has visible cracks that have started to appear in the bund wall. Recently, workers used paper towels to clean up a spill near to the bunded area, as the dedicated spill kit was temporarily unavailable, pending a replacement order. The workers disposed of the used paper towels in a nearby, overflowing bin.

Deliveries of drums sometimes arrive unannounced, and they are left outside the BD3 warehouse, in the loading bay, until a worker has time to move them. Occasionally, workers store other materials in the bunded areas temporarily; this sometimes leads to accumulation of additional drums left outside of BD3. Workers have been observed moving them with pallet trucks when all of the FLTs are in use elsewhere, and some of the drums have noticeable damage as a result. As part of the modernisation programme, it has been agreed that an additional bunded storage area will be installed outside of the BD3 warehouse.

BD2’s roof A recent storm has caused significant damage to BD2’s roof. Five roof panels were blown away, resulting in damage to the electric lights and the fire sprinkler system. The management team have temporarily closed the warehouse. Deliveries to BD2 are paused and 70% of the salvaged stock will be redistributed to BD1, and the remaining 30% to BD3. Some PITs will also be reallocated for use in BD1, on a temporary basis; this will create a huge increase in vehicle activity at BD1.

To maintain normal operations while managing the move and rearrangement of stock, a night shift is introduced (22:00 to 06:00). Some workers welcome the extra hours, while others are finding the change difficult. Workers from BD2 are reassigned to BD1 and BD3. Although they are familiar with the work, for many of them it is their first time at these other warehouses. Therefore, a brief induction is provided to familiarise workers with their new environment.

Maintenance As a result of the roof damage to BD2, water leaked into the warehouse and dripped onto several motorised roller conveyors. The MPM responded immediately by de-energising the hazardous energy source: the respective conveyor circuit breakers were switched off, and a multiple hasp was inserted into each circuit breaker isolating switch. The MPM then attached their personal lock through the hasp and added a tag displaying their name, contact telephone number, and the date of application. Barriers and warning signs were erected around the affected conveyors. However, due to time constraints and the BD2 health and safety manager being occupied with other issues, a specified permit-to-work was not followed for this activity.

The MPM oversaw a detailed assessment of the damage, assisted by the combined engineering teams. As each engineer was invited to examine a conveyor they informed the MPM, attached their personal lock to the circuit breaker hasp, and added an annotated tag in the same manner as the MPM. Upon completing their examination, each engineer removed their lock and tag, and notified the MPM that their assessment was finished.

Following the examinations, each engineer provided a report itemising their findings. The MPM reviewed these reports and drafted a plan for the necessary repairs. Relying on previous experience and with little time, the MPM decided that a specific risk assessment and safe system of work (SSoW) were not required.

As part of the process, the engineering team was required to check that all relevant safety features remained operational. The engineers removed guarding from around the motor of each conveyor to visually assess water ingress, check for potential damage, and carry out electrical testing (including open/closed circuit, earth leakage, and resistance tests). If any damage was found, the conveyor was quarantined and marked for either ‘repair’ or ‘replacement’.

Because the conveyors were needed back in operation as soon as possible, engineers were under pressure to complete repairs and replacements quickly. The repair works were agreed by management and scheduled for completion within two days. After a few days, the repairs and replacements were finished. The MPM then carried out quick visual checks of each conveyor, after which all locks, tags, barriers, and signage were removed, and power was restored to the conveyors. Subsequently, during a safety tour, a supervisor identified that the guarding was missing on one conveyor.

Moving stock to BD1 The redistribution of stock to BD1 has led to temporary storage arrangements, including the use of non-standard shelving and overflow areas near fire exits. You recognise the need to make changes to the racking to accommodate the additional stock. You telephone the racking organisation team to arrange these changes. Following your telephone conversation, an additional row of racking has been created for extra storage in all aisles, but this is getting close in height to the sprinkler systems. As some areas are dimly lit due to the older lighting fixtures still in use, temporary lighting has also been installed in overflow areas.

As more stock from BD2 is entering BD1, two old, motorised roller conveyors are brought out of storage for use in the packing area. Four years ago, these conveyors were shipped from another distribution centre in a different country. These conveyors are set up in the packing area to support inventory processing in the aisles in BD1. The older conveyor belts operated differently and some safety features such as the ESBs differed; ESBs were placed at 10-metre intervals rather than the 2- metre intervals on the existing modern conveyor belts.

With more workers and equipment than usual in BD1, the environment has become noisy, and space is becoming limited. You notice that there is damage on vehicles, such as scratched paintwork and cracked mirrors. Overall, housekeeping standards in the warehouse have also significantly dropped. Aisles are now more crowded, with some materials overhanging the shelves in several areas. As the pace of work has increased, you ask all supervisors to increase the frequency of their safety tours.

Two weeks later, supervisors are beginning to report that some workers appear distracted or stressed. Some workers are reporting difficulty locating items. The maintenance team have also begun to face additional pressure to keep equipment operational. An unexpected breakdown occurred when one of the older motorised roller conveyors in the packing area suddenly stopped during a busy shift. The failure was traced to a worn drive motor that had deteriorated faster than anticipated, due to heavy use. This forced workers to carry items and take shortcuts across vehicle routes. Some supervisors have also observed inconsistent use of seatbelts, as workers are more frequently entering and exiting FLTs.

The following incidents have also been reported at BD1:

Conveyor incident at BD1 During a busy afternoon shift, Worker C, who had recently been assigned to BD1, was taking a break. They left their workstation in the packing area and took a shortcut by crouching under an older conveyor. As Worker C was about to stand up, their hair got caught in the moving parts underneath the conveyor and they were pulled towards the motors. Other workers in the area heard cries for help and had to move boxes out of the way before being able to push the nearest ESB, 5 metres away.

Vehicle incident at BD1 Worker A was reversing a HLOP to retrieve items from a mid-level pallet rack. Worker B, who recently transferred from BD2, entered the same aisle from the other side in another HLOP. The two vehicles collided, and Worker A’s vehicle tipped forward. Worker A was thrown from the cab (which was eight metres high) and they were later taken to hospital. When Worker B was interviewed, they explained, “I was looking for items and did not realise another vehicle was in the same aisle behind some boxes; I could barely hear the reversing alarm.”

Task 1: Working at height 1

Lighting upgrades have continued in BD1 and BD2 warehouses after the storm.

What should be considered when replacing the lights to help reduce the risks associated with working at height?

Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

(28)

Task 2: Assessment and maintenance of conveyor damage 2 (a) As a result of water dripping onto the conveyors, the MPM responded immediately and oversaw a detailed assessment of the damage.

What was positive about the response and assessment of the damage? Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

(b) Explain why a permit-to-work system might have helped to make the maintenance activity safer. Note: Your answer must be based on the scenario only.

(10)

(15)

Task 3: Understanding the significance and operation of sprinkler systems 3

(a) Evaluate whether a wet sprinkler system with glass bulb-activated sprinkler heads is a good choice for BD’s warehouses. Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

(b) Describe how a glass bulb-activated sprinkler system operates in a fire.

(20)

(7)

Task 4: Workplace pedestrian and vehicle safety 4

Following the recent vehicle incident inside the BD1 warehouse, you have decided to carry out a workplace transport risk assessment.

What improvements could be made to the existing BD1 warehouse to help ensure

(a) safe site? (b) safe vehicle? (c) safe driver?

Note: For parts (a), (b) and (c), you should support your answers, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

(14) (6) (6)

Task 5: Advantages of planned preventative maintenance 5

What are the advantages of planned preventative maintenance at BD?

Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

(15)

Task 6: Applying the risk control hierarchy to work equipment 6

Applying the risk control hierarchy relating to work equipment, propose a range of control measures that will help reduce risk with the motorised conveyors.

Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

(12)

Task 7: Risk of spillages and recommendations 7

(a) Explain why further spillages of hazardous substances may occur in the BD3 warehouse.

Note: Your answer must be based on the scenario only.

(b) Recommend improvements for handling and storing hazardous substances at BD3.

Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

(16)

(12)

Task 8: Lighting hazards 8

(a) Comment on why lighting is inadequate in some parts of BD1.

Note: You should support your answer using relevant information from the scenario.

(b) Explain how inadequate lighting can contribute to health and safety risks 

Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.

(8)

(6)

End of assessmen