HEALTH & WORK SAFETY

IDENTIFICATION OF THE STORAGE &

DELIVERY PROCESS
1. Musculoskeletal (back) injury, when: Main Hazards Associated With The Storage &
• manually moving stock from storage systems; Handling/Delivery Steel Stocl
• manually moving heavy lifting accessories;
• manually unloading vehicles;
2. Slips and trips:
• on poorly maintained floors in untidy work or storage areas, or when oil or water has been spilt on
floors;
3. because loose materials have been left on the vehicle bed, or the vehicle bed floor is poorly maintained
or there is oil or water on it; Falls from height:
• on and from delivery vehicles
• when accessing stock & storage systems
4. Being struck or crushed by moving stock, for example:
• when it falls from a vehicle during unloading;
• when it moves unexpectedly on a vehicle during unloading;
• when it moves or falls during lifting or handling operations;
• when storage or containment systems fail;
5. Being struck or crushed by heavy lifting attachments that unexpectedly topple over;
6. Being struck by moving vehicles:
 during vehicle reversing operations in delivery areas;
 when stock is being handled by fork-lift trucks in storage or processing areas;
7. Being cut by sharp edges, for example on banding or sheet stock.
Which Storage System Are
Best Suited to Different Types
of Steel Stock?

Stored steel stock can be either:

1. free-standing, i.e. stock is placed or stacked on the ground without any
fixed supports or racks, or stored on the floor on bearers;
2. supported, i.e. stock is restrained or supported by racks or other
permanent or semi-permanent storage equipment.

Free-standing stacks of narrow coils (bore-vertical) on

wooden bearers on solid floor. Individual coils separated
Wooden by bearers for safe/easier attachment of coil lifters.
bearers
Storage System

Figure 7

Toast rack (long product)

Range of Similar stock shapes stored in same slots.
product types
Volume stored Low

Ease of access Two-directional access required to avoid

lifting overtop.
• Manual handling.
Main hazards to • Sharp edges.
be controlled • Larger products require larger side
access for safe removal.
• Product must be stored in correct slot.
Storage System Standing coil, bore-vertical

Range of Slit coil. Usually for temporary

product types storage, work in progress or stock
awaiting dispatch.
Volume stored Medium/high
Stored in rows with adequate
space for operator/fork-lift truck
use.
Ease of access Overhead travelling crane &
appropriate bore grabs can be
used for handling individual coils.

• Stack imbalance.
Main hazards • Entrapment
to be • Broken banding.
controlled • Sharp egdes.
Figure 13 • Slips, trips and falls.
Storage System

Figure 15

Pallet racking
Range of Sheet and plate, coil and profiles. Most materials.
product types
Volume stored Medium. Adequate access gangways required.

Ease of access Unrestricted access by fork-lift truck direct to storage

position.
• Overload of racking, inadequate shelf support for
Main hazards to pallet design, imbalance and rack toppling if base not
be controlled adequately secured.
• Contact damage with fork-lift truck and danger of
rack collapse, falls from height (eg stocktakers).
Storage System

Figure 16

Leaning coil
Range of Slit coil. Temporary storage for stock awaiting further
product types processing or dispatch.
Medium. Single high. Adequate access required for
Volume stored personnel and lifting equipment. Low if only fork-lift
truck used.
Ease of access Stored in rows to allow operator access. Access required
for lifting equipment between rows.
Main hazards to Coil slippage, entrapment between coils, coil topple,
be controlled broken banding, coil laps, slips, trips and falls.
Which Storage System Are Best Suited to Different Types of Steel Stock?

BROAD COILS behave like a drum, i.e. when standing eye-horizontal they can roll,
and, once rolling, are difficult to stop and are dangerous because of their large
mass.
Broad coils should always be safely chocked, and appropriately supported and
barriered when stored bore-horizontal. They should be stored on a stable, level
surface.

LONG, NARROW STEEL STOCK is most stable when laid on its

side and safest when stored horizontally in storage racks.
Horizontal storage and handling systems should be used in
preference to vertical systems.
Figure 20
 Which Storage System Are Best Suited to Different Types of Steel Stock?

Coils should always be chocked. Chocks can be made of hardwood, steel or a composite and they should be of an
appropriate size and wedge angle.
When stacking broad coils, the weight of material in the higher levels causes considerable downward gravimetric
forces on the lower base-level coils (Figure 22). Such forces can cause stack failure and collapse

Figure 21. Chocks

Figure 22. Forces in Figure 24. Failure

Figure 23. Failure caused
coil stacking caused by coil climbing
by chock sliding
over the chock

Figure 26. Diameters of

coils A and B must not
Figure 25. Correctly differ by more than 10% to
aligned coils permit two-high block
standing
 Figure 27. Diameters of
coils D and E differ by Figure 28. A
more than 10% and two- complete block-stack
high block-stacking is before any coils have
therefore unsafe, been removed
regardless of the
diameter of coil F

Figure 30. Coil E has been added to Figure 29, properly

positioned and chocked. As it leaves a gap which is no greater
Figure 29. Coils A, B and C have been removed (see
than 10% of the previous coil’s diameter, block-stacking may
Figure 28)
continue

Figure 31. Coil F has been added to Figure 30,

creating a block-stack without the need to
rebuild the entire stack. However, the diameter
of F must not exceed the diameter of D or E
Which Storage System Are Best Suited to Different Types of Steel Stock?
PLATES and SHEETS are most stable when laid flat. When stacked on edge they should always be
adequately supported / restrained in suitable racking which prevents them from falling over and enables
safe retrieval of individual sheets.

Figure 34. Tidy and well-

spaced, free-standing floor
storage of plate. Separation
of small quantities of sheet
by wooden bearers. The
gaps between sheets allow
access for the use of lifting
equipment.
Figure 35. Sheets wrapped and
banded onto pallets; no exposed
sharp edges. Stock should be
strapped to the pallet to aid safe
handling and to avoid material
overhanging the pallet edge.
Handling
Steel stock is handled during:
 vehicle loading, delivery and unloading;
 processing/manufacture.

DELIVERY is the supply of steel stock from a stockholder up to the point at which the customer accepts
responsibility for it.
 Unloading may, or may not, be part of the delivery.
 Handling involves both lifting and transporting operations.
 Handling systems may comprise combinations of mechanical handling equipment designed to interface with
a particular stock storage system.
Figure 40. Bundle of Figure 42. Use of a side-loader lift
long product being truck for handling long, broad
lifted by overhead product. It can be used for
crane. Operator in a (un)loading cantilever racks and
safe position using a some toast racks, stands or long
‘tag line’ to maneuver it product stillages. The driver is
into position protected by the cab during lifting
and handling.

Figure 41. Safe

operating procedures Figure 43. Side-loader lift truck
for lifting narrow coil fitted with four-fork
from standing coil attachment for carrying long,
rack using C-hook. narrow product. Prevents
Coils banded together product sagging over sides of
to improve stability forks

Figure 49. Plate lifter. Comprised of

simple hooks that reach under and
support each side, or all four corners,
of the plate.
 Figure 44. Unit for
Figure 46. Telescopic
turning coil from
coil lifter for lifting
bore-vertical to
broad coil
bore-horizontal (and
vice versa)

Figure 45. Magnet

lifting equipment for
Figure 47. Hinged
broad, long product.
safety lip on end of
Personnel-free area
adapted C-hook to
where magnets are
prevent narrow coil
being operated
from falling off

Figure 48. Horizontal coil lifter

raising narrow, bore-vertical
coil. They can be designed to
grip the inside of the bore of
the coil, or the outside, or the
inside and outside
simultaneously.