What Are the Most Dangerous Risks of the Distribution Process?

Businesses all over the world rely on different forms of transportation to channel goods from one place to another. Trucks dot the highways, destined for stores and warehouses spread all over the country. Enormous ships traverse the waters from continent to continent making deliveries of various goods. It could be medicine, plants, food, clothes, furniture, and petroleum; people and businesses everywhere need to be supplied with products. One way or another, whether by land, sea, or air, these products have to get to their desired destinations. Entrepreneurs hope that the process of distribution goes without a hitch, but unforeseen events can happen. All too often, a mishap on the road causes immense damage and loss of property.  What are the typical dangers associated with the distribution of goods? Here are a few pointers to keep your business in the clear and your products en route.

Contamination

Especially when transporting petroleum by sea, we have seen the devastating effects of ships that sank. Oil spills have interfered with healthy marine life and caused destruction to the environment, not to mention the loss of profits on this so needed good. One is advised to be cautious when transporting medicine, whether by road or by sea. Certain drugs need to be stored under special conditions to keep them viable and safe. If not, this could pose a danger to the end consumers, and lost or spilled chemical drugs can have devastating environmental effects, as well.

Loss of Merchandise

Trucks transporting sensitive or essential goods quickly become a target for thieves. This is dangerous because there’s the risk of specific products getting into the wrong hands. Other events that cause loss of merchandise include fire, looting, car accidents, and so on. Accidents of commercial trucks can be a huge loss for companies and can affect drivers trying to make a living.

Accidents

Potholed and unfamiliar roads or terrains may lead to an accident mainly if the truck driver is driving too fast. Other factors like overloading and long distances can give rise to sudden accidents owing to malfunctions and fatigue, respectively. All these elements are dangerous both for merchandise and human life.

Machine Fails

There are thousands of warehouses in America. These stores employ the use of heavy machinery to move packaged products from one point to another. Devices are manmade; hence, they fail without proper maintenance. Forklifts could malfunction and lose their brakes to crash into whatever lies in its path. Be it a fellow worker, an electric pole, a whole tower of previously packaged goods; you name it. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 20,000 warehouse workers report injuries from forklifts every year. 25% of these accidents happen due to the forklift overturning. Unfortunately, 100 people lose their lives from these accidents annually.

Falls and Slips

Slipping and falling accidents make up 25% of all reported injuries. Of all reported deaths, 15% are as a result of slipping and falling, according to the 2011 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. Owing to manual handling of goods, a worker could miscalculate the weight of a load. This could consequently lead to a slip or fall, breaking limbs or even causing death if the fall is severe enough. Distributing your goods is a big part of any business process. Doing it right means playing it safe and setting appropriate rules to protect workers. These are just a few ways accidents can happen, so be careful.