Safe packing – 8 ways your packaging can improve health and safety

You may be surprised how safe packing practices and suitable packaging can improve health and safety. This is particularly true if your business uses high volumes of packaging, for example, as a manufacturer or eCommerce seller.

There are several ways your packaging can improve health and safety. Suitable packaging can help minimise RSI injuries, reduce the potential for cuts, and encourage correct handling procedures. It is also essential to consider the environment and equipment used for packing.

This guide highlights the importance of health and safety and details eight tips for making your packaging tangibly better for the health and safety of your packing teams.

As many as 565,000 people sustain injuries at work each year. When also factoring in absences through stress and work-related ill health, 35.2 million working days are lost annually. The cost to the UK economy of this is approximately £2.7 billion.

But even on a smaller scale, poor health and safety can significantly impact your business. It can result in lower productivity, difficulties with staff retention, and even sanctions and fines from The Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

It is, therefore, essential that your business complies with the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act. This act details how businesses must provide adequate training, welfare provisions for staff, a properly maintained working environment, and suitable provision of relevant information and supervision.

Although health and safety are huge topics, the role that your packaging can play in this is surprising. As such, eight tips for safe packing include:

• Using properly sized boxes to minimise cutting.
• Using assembled packs to reduce RSI injuries.
• Adding suitable handling logos and instructions to packs.
• Ensuring packing stations use ergonomic design.
• Using anti-fatigue mats.
• Having a well-organised warehouse.
• Providing gloves and suitable PPE.
• Conducting thorough, regular training.

Printing handling logos and instructions on your packaging can be one of the most effective ways to improve health and safety.

Standard logos on packaging, including “2-person lift”, “this way up” and “do not stack”, can all help staff use packaging correctly, reducing the risk of avoidable accidents.

You can see a complete list of transit packaging symbols in this guide.

Using cardboard packaging often results in minor nicks and cuts (similar to paper cuts). Whilst not life-threatening, these can be highly irritating and uncomfortable for staff.

As such, you should provide appropriate gloves and other PPE (such as high-vis jackets if packing staff have to retrieve items from warehouses) to minimise any risks.

Besides the physical packaging your business uses, it is also important to consider how it is used and the environment in which it is used.

For example, packing benches that are the wrong height, where staff have to stretch to reach items (such as tapes or labels) or that are too cramped and cluttered can all harm safety (and productivity).

Ensuring packing stations are comfortable to use is crucial.

It can be easy to overlook, but standing all day to assemble and pack boxes can be tiring and uncomfortable. Anti-fatigue mats can help decrease lower limb disorders and discomfort caused by standing for long periods on hard floors. These mats are typically manufactured using soft materials such as rubber, carpet, or vinyl. Suitable footwear can also help.

Training is vital to minimise and prevent health and safety problems. This can include sessions on manual handling and blade use alongside specific instructions on using equipment and packing specific products or orders.

Suitable training is also a provision of the Health and Safety at Work Act (making it a legal requirement for your business).

Finally, a well-organised and managed warehouse can also help reduce health and safety issues. For example, minimise the distances your staff must travel to retrieve packaging or products from storage. Use suitable picking bins to allow products to be safely stored (with no risk of falling off shelves). Ensure clear walking routes to avoid collisions with forklifts or other vehicles/machinery.

Of course, a well-managed warehouse has numerous other benefits, too.