These pages help you to:

• identify the risks involved with stacking shelves
• choose the right access equipment to do the job

Working conditions

Questions to ask include:

Height

How high is the job from the ground?

Surface

What surface will the access equipment rest on? (e.g. the shelves, a partition wall)

Is this surface strong enough to take the weight of the workers and their equipment?

Ground

What is the ground condition under the area where access equipment might need to be set up - for example, is it sloping, slippery or uneven? The access equipment you use must be suitable for the ground conditions - stable, level and not liable to fall or collapse.

If you fall, what will you fall on to?

Conditions

What are lighting levels like in the area you will be working? Are other people or vehicles like fork lift trucks around?

Task

What tools or materials will you need for shelf stacking? How will the items up and down safely? Are they heavy or awkward to carry?

Types of access

When looking at what you need to do the job, think about the following...

From the ground	Can the items be stored nearer to ground level?	Yes/No
From a platform	Can you do the work from podium steps, Mobile Elevated Work Platform (MEWP) or cherry picker?	Yes/No
Fall protection	Can you use personal fall protection to allow safe access?	Yes/No
From a ladder	Is the work low risk [PDF 135kb] and short duration?	Yes/No
	Do you have a ladder that will reach the area?	Yes/No
	Can you secure the ladder safely? [PDF 320kb]	Yes/No
	Can you or your workers use the ladder safely? [PDF 320kb]	Yes/No

Tips for safe working

• Plan to store heavy or large items at the bottom and smaller, lighter items higher up.
• Put the items you frequently use in an easily accessible area.
• If there is a risk of anything falling that could injure someone, make sure no-one comes into the area below the work.
• Take frequent breaks, especially when working from a ladder - do not work from a ladder for longer than 30 minutes at a time.
• If you are using a ladder keep three points of contact wherever possible, don't carry loads of more than 10kg.
• Make sure the people who will be doing the job have the right skills, experience and training to use the equipment safely and have been consulted about the right equipment to use.
• If you are hiring access equipment, ask the hirer for a demonstration and make sure you know how to install and dismantle it safely - ask the hirer for instructions or assistance if you need them.

Further reading

• Work at Height Regulations - a brief guide [PDF 91kb]
• 5 Steps to Risk Assessment [PDF 135kb]
• Safe use of ladders and stepladders - an employer's guide [PDF 319kb]

From experience

Good practice:

• Storing goods safely

What can happen:

• A teacher fell retrieving items from a high shelf