Hazard Management Bulletin - Stacking 1100kg Synthetic Material Super Sacks1
Incident
A plastic injection moulder operator was killed when a 1100kg synthetic super sack containing texPET pellets fell on top of him.
Circumstances
The operator had stacked three synthetic super sacks on top of each other against a supporting wall. No stabilisation was positioned between the top and middle sacks to support them.
Investigation
The investigation found that the highest super sack compressed, causing a change in its positioning and stability upon the middle super sack.
Department of Labour advice
It is the Department’s advice that synthetic type super sacks should be stored at ground level. Where there is a requirement for these sacks to be stacked vertically, precautions should be taken to prevent the sacks moving or settling by vibration.
The employer must take all practicable steps to identify this significant hazard and have in place an effective method to support and restrain the stacked super sacks.
Note: This material has been prepared using the best information available to the Department of Labour at the time of publication. Information may change over time and it may be necessary for you to obtain an update. This material is also only intended to provide general advice and does not constitute legal advice. You should make your own judgement about action you may need to take to ensure you have complied with your workplace health and safety obligations under the law.
1 Large sacks containing “texPET pellets” (small round balls of uniform size, consisting of resins with compounding additives which have been prepared for plastic moulding operations)..
Which industries/sectors or matters will this information be relevant to?
Plastics industry
Picture 1: the size of the texPET sack can be viewed against the building’s half-open garage door.
Picture 2: this photo displays the compression to a lower-stacked super sack from the bag that was previously stacked on top.
Picture 3: this photo shows one super sack in the background stacked alongside the concrete wall (partially obscured by pallets and second super sack). Super sack 2 has fallen over, to land in front of super sack 1. Super sack 3 is the sack that crushed the worker. The bag’s straps are hanging on the forklift’s tines (the forklift was used to move the bag off the worker).
Issued by the Department of Labour, New Zealand
http://www.osh.dol.govt.nz
June 2010