For someone who is young and fast, big and powerful, it may not feel like a challenge when you have to move a 60-70 kg jute sack of coffee from the warehouse to the coffee roaster. Even if you manage to do it, it may not be ideal and therefore we have recently received quite a few sacks packed in 30 kg sacks and 20 kg cartons.
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority says the following:
Heavy work
Heavy work is one or more work operations that can individually or collectively overload the worker's musculoskeletal system. Several work operations which individually are not considered heavy, can together and over time give too high a total load. Typical heavy work operations are lifting, carrying, stacking, pushing, pulling, lowering and twisting.
As an employer, you are responsible for the physical working environment and that employees are not exposed to adverse stresses:
Section 4-4. Requirements for the physical working environment
(1) Physical working environment factors such as building and equipment conditions, indoor climate, light conditions, noise, radiation etc. must be fully justified based on consideration of the employees' health, environment, safety and welfare.
(2) The workplace must be furnished and designed so that the employee avoids adverse physical strain. Necessary aids must be made available to the employee. Arrangements must be made for variety in the work and to avoid heavy lifting and monotonous repetitive work. When setting up and using machines and other work equipment, it must be ensured that the employee is not exposed to adverse stresses due to vibration, uncomfortable working positions, etc.
Load and risk in heavy work
Heavy manual work can lead to wear and tear changes over time, especially in the back, hips and knees. It can also cause acute discomfort and lead to accidents. Manual handling of goods, equipment, people and other objects can in particular lead to health damage if:
- is too heavy or too large
- is unwieldy or gives poor grip
- is unsupported or has content that can shift
- has such a location that it must be held at a distance from the body or must be handled by bending or twisting the body
- due to its external shape or consistency can cause damage to the worker
The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has published a assessment model for heavy work.
Follow these recommendations:
- Standing position: Avoid single lifting heavier than 25 kg under optimal conditions.
- The carrying distance should not exceed 20 m on level ground.
- Standing and walking work: Total lifting weight per day should not exceed 6000 kg.
- Seated work: Total lifting weight per day should not exceed 3000 kg.
Note that loads and risks must always be assessed against the individual's conditions and health.
Assessment model for recommended weight limits in standing position:
Reduce the risk of health damage
The employer must reduce the risk of employees being exposed to health damage. If the employer does not take into account the risk of health damage, it could trigger an obligation to pay compensation. You should therefore follow these recommendations:
- Organize work so that employees avoid heavy lifting and carrying.
- Use aids for lifting and moving.
- Avoid heavy lifting in a sitting position.
- Avoid single lifting of more than 25 kg.
- Avoid lifting more than a total of 6000 kg per day in standing and walking work.
- Avoid lifting more than a total of 3000 kg per day in a sitting position.
- Avoid that the carrying distance is too long. Use aids instead.
- Always assess the load and risk against the individual employee's conditions and health.
For those who work with coffee, this is not feasible!
Perhaps not as it is today, but EU rules will be able to tighten the rules and it is said that the limit for single lifting can be set to 20 kg. In that case, it will mean that major changes must be made in the coffee industry in Europe.
Som leverandør til kaffebrenneri i Norge og andre land i EU ønsker vi selvsagt å følge regelverket, men som de fleste i denne bransjen vet, det går stort sett i 48, 60 og 70 kg sekker. Da med unntak av det du kan få fra sorze4, fra oss. Det meste av det vi har inne nå er i 30 kg sekk, og 20 kg kartonger, noe som kanskje letter hverdagen for en del av våre kunder og forhåpentligvis holder sykefraværet nede. Noen har i allefall meldt tilbake om det.
There is a reason why most people sell in large bags. Primarily because it has always been this way, but surely one should change practice when the rules change? Another reason is probably that the manufacturers find it most practical to use large bags, because it has always been that way for them too... but it must not continue like this forever? After all, we have replaced the horse and cart with a car and now someone wants to replace the lorry with a bicycle delivery, even though for us it might look like a challenge to load 600 kg on a bicycle, but maybe it's the case that everything depends on it is will?
We are interested in knowing what YOU want!
A recipe for success that we try to work according to is one that was presented to us by Keith Cunningham when he was in Trondheim a few years ago (You find Keith Cunningham on YouTube):
SUCCESS = FOWTN + GAGI + GITT
This may look a bit cryptic, but that is the reason why we now ask our customers what they want. The letters of the recipe for success stand for:
- Find out what they need
- Go and get it
- Give it to them
We hope you have 1 minute to answer our little survey. We will give one of those who answer a little surprise for Christmas. A small bag that came with a bird, a Jacu Bird, the world's most exclusive coffee.
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