Material handling is the movement, protection, storage and control of materials and products throughout manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, consumption and disposal. As a process, material handling incorporates a wide range of manual , semi-automated and automated equipment and systems that support logistics and make the supply chain work.

How much employee involvement is required in material handling?

The extent of employee involvement will vary by operation and may include manual, automated, and semi-automated material handling events. The safety keys outlined below offer general guidance that would require tailoring for specific materials and logistics support scenarios.

What type of hazardous materials training should your facilities team have?

What Sort of Hazardous Materials Training Should Your Facilities Team Have? The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has specific training requirements, courses, and certifications for various safety matters, including emergency handling of hazardous materials – however, general safety training for most purposes can be performed in house.

Why are best practices important when designing a material handling system?

When designing a material handling system, it is important to refer to best practices to ensure that all the equipment and processes—including manual, semi-automated and automated—in a facility work together as a unified, system.