The majority of work in our warehouse is manual and involves picking and dispatching goods to both B2B and B2C customers.

An ongoing working environmental topic has been physically demanding tasks involving heavy lifting, especially during peak periods and when handling bulky items.

In addition to the risk of musculoskeletal strain, heavy manual handling has also reduced flexibility in workforce planning, which in turn affected diversity in the warehouse, for example in relation to physical capacity, age and gender. Reducing peak physical strain has therefore been a priority from a health, safety and inclusion perspective.

Risk assessment and decision-making

Based on the Working Enviroment Organisation’s (AMO) practical risk assessments of repetitive manual handling tasks, and as part of the ongoing APV follow-up, vacuum lifters were introduced in the warehouse. The first step was to define clear criteria for when lifting aids must be used.

Criteria for using lifting aids:

• vacuum lifters must be used for packages with a lifting surface greater than 30 × 30 cm and, as a standard measure, when handling goods weighing more than 15 kg
• where vacuum lifting is not a practical option for handling single items, alternative assistive devices (e.g. plate lifters) are used to avoid direct heavy lifting

This provides a consistent framework for daily operations, reduces reliance on individual judgement in fast-paced situations, and supports consistent safe working practices across warehouse teams.

Implementation in daily operations

To ensure correct and consistent use, the new lifters and assistive devices were integrated into everyday routines and supported by training in their use. These guidelines are included in the onboarding of new colleagues and seasonal employees. In addition, a dedicated safety video supports consistent instruction and helps reinforce the correct use of lifting aids across the warehouse facilities.

The vacuum lifters are primarily used for pallet building and other high-volume handling tasks, for example single orders involving hundreds of tents, where goods must be transferred to specific pallet types (e.g. UK pallets). In tasks where plate lifters are used, the handling method shifts from heavy lifting to controlled pulling and pushing. This reduces peak physical load and improves ergonomics significantly for the team.

To ensure that the equipment becomes a natural part of everyday routines, supervisors and colleagues provide ongoing follow-up in daily operations to ensure that the right equipment is used and that safe working methods are maintained over time.

Observations and learnings

Since implementation, we have carried out follow-up reviews to capture key learnings. We are pleased to observe positive changes in the staffing of warehouse tasks and in employees’ perceptions of their working lives. This means that we are now able to consider a broader pool of candidates during recruitment processes. We have also seen improved confidence among employees in their ability to remain in these roles over time.