A customer placing an order and the processing of that order is the true nature of business!  It is getting very close to Halloween and we all know that Thanksgiving is next. 

For many businesses, this realization means the busiest time of the year is right around the corner. Many rely on this "peak" season, generally Thanksgiving Day to December 24th, to generate a large portion of the year’s profits.

On Thursday, October 23, MEMIC will present a webinar that covers the major elements of processing these customer orders. Businesses need to service the customer and deliver on-time, but must do so without suffering workplace injuries.

The webinar will cover best practices and offer suggestions and make recommendations associated with following elements:

• Seasonal Hiring - The hiring of employees to work for a short duration in physically demanding jobs can create problems for these peak dependent businesses.
• Customer Service - Call centers can be a busy and stressful environment. The need to consider office ergonomics and respond to pain or discomfort is crucial.
• Replenishment - Starting at the loading dock, moving into the high bay racking, and ending up on the floor for picking. The handling of cases is critical and a major cause of injuries.
• Warehousing - Fullness in warehousing creates unsafe conditions and promotes unsafe behaviors. Management of your inventory and proper usage of your space is important.
• Powered Industrial Trucks - Many pieces of equipment are necessary to handle and manage the volume. Unfortunately, they are heavy and move fast in tight spaces, often in close proximity to pedestrians.
• Picking - Selection of product to fill individual orders requires miles of walking, material handling, and exposes employees to upper extremity ergonomic risk factors.
• Packing - Putting all the pieces of the order together accurately while making it look presentable to the customer is a stressful task that carries a high amount of physical demand and injury exposure. Ergonomic risk factors are the leading cause of injury in industry today.

Regardless of the size of your business, many organizations are planning for the 2014 Holiday Season. This requires months of planning and can be a very stressful time for all involved.  Being prepared, focusing on your exposures, and implementing a quality injury prevention program can reduce the impact of this season. It can also go a long way in providing a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season at work and at home!

Posted ByMEMIC Loss Control Staff