Due to all the amazing work that has occurred over the past few months in the Library warehouse, there has been a significant reduction in the health and safety risk to staff working in this area. In most cases the height reduction in the shelves and the placing of heavier items on lower shelves means that the stacks are much more stable and the risk of heavy items falling off in the event of an earthquake or other mishap has been greatly reduced. Aisles are now clear, shelves are sensibly ordered and items are much easier to locate thereby considerably reducing the irritation factor!

The need for 2 people to retrieve together from the area is therefore deemed no longer necessary. However, to ensure that your safety is always paramount, please make sure that you signout on your whiteboard in your home workplace when you go across to do retrievals or other work, so that we know where you are if an earthquake or other event occurs. Wear sensible shoes when mounting ladders or using footstools. If at any stage you feel that your safety is compromised for whatever reason (like trying to lift an item that you find too heavy), err on the side of caution – don’t do it – and let your manager or supervisor know. Similarly, if you identify a new hazard or think that old hazards are still an issue, notify it as soon as possible. If you do hurt yourself while in the warehouse or indeed anywhere at work, remember to fill in an Event Report Form. This is important for you if something that seems small at the time becomes an issue a few days down the track and helps us to identify real and potential hazards and mitigate their risks.

Macmillan Brown Library staff are likely to continue to work in twos because of the awkward and often heavy nature of the material they are retrieving.

Jill