At the end of last year, the transitory first article of the Agreement that modifies the Official Mexican Standard NOM-006-STPS-2014 on handling and storage of materials was amended. The update made in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) mentions that the modifications to the NOM, described in the Agreement, will no longer take effect three months after its official publication. Some are already applicable for this year 2018 and others for 2020.
Here we tell you which ones you should check for the safe handling of manual loads. This NOM also includes the safety and health conditions to be considered at work. Therefore, we suggest you be aware of the new provisions, in order to stick to the Mexican regulatory framework.
It is important to verify the maximum manual load that workers handle.
The weight of the work materials must not exceed that indicated by NOM-006-STPS-2014. In addition, care should be taken to ensure that work risks do not occur. Therefore, women can only handle loads of up to 15 kg. In the case of minors, the weight can not exceed 7 kg.
Additionally, it is established that pregnant women should not handle loads greater than 10 kg.
THE SUPERVISION OF THE WEIGHT OF THE LOADS IS IMPORTANT.
It is important that the maximum load for the workers is determined according to the actual conditions of each activity. This means that the handling of loads can not exceed 25 kg, a figure recommended for men. Likewise, the Agreement that modifies NOM-006-STPS-2014 indicates the conditions for manual handling of loads greater than that indicated. In this way, when required, the coordination of load groups or auxiliary equipment is necessary. These provisions must be taken into account, as they will take effect from January 2, 2020.
RISKS EVALUATION
Companies must evaluate the risks to health and safety to which workers are exposed. The steps to perform an effective risk assessment are very simple:
- Identification of the risks that can cause accidents, injuries or illnesses.
- Analysis of people who may be injured and how the injury would occur.
- Study of whether existing preventive measures are adequate or should be expanded.
In the specific case of the handling and storage of materials, it is important to consider the weight and dimensions of the load. In addition, the physical qualities and pathological background of the worker are important.
The use of robotic palletizing systems eliminates many of the headaches that manual palletizing can cause.
- Eliminates work accidents due to poor lifting technique. The palletizing cells have the ability to detect that someone entered and automatically stops the operation.
- It allows to increase the capacity of accommodation, another product and another type of mooring inside the platform.
- Its productivity allows a rapid return on investment.
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