Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Institutional links

Follow CCOHS on:
CCOHS on Twitter CCOHS on LinkedIn CCOHS on Facebook CCOHS RSS Feeds main page


What is an example of a workplace housekeeping checklist for stockpiling?

Lumber

  • Lay lumber before stacking on a solid level sill.
  • Use cross-piling or cross-stripping whenever the pile exceeds 1.2 meters (4 ft.) in height.
  • Exercise care when cutting bands used to bundle lumber. Avoid being trapped by falling materials.

Reinforcing steel

  • Use wooden spacers to separate piles of reinforcing steel.
  • Unload reinforcing steel by mechanical means whenever possible.
  • Check all bundles for broken or weak tie wires before attempting to unload.

Pipe

  • Stack pipe on solid, level sills only. Block pipes to prevent them from rolling.
  • Place lagging between layers to reduce the pressure and prevent the pile from spreading.
  • Remove pipe from ends of the pile.
  • Do not stack pipe higher than 1.5 meters (5 ft.).

Structural steel

  • Pile structural steel to prevent tipping and slipping.
  • Give special attention when loading structural steel from trucks.
  • Place slings on steel before releasing binder chains.

Bagged and stacked material

  • Maintain stability.
  • Do not allow piles to exceed ten bags in height unless the face of the piles are supported by the walls of a storage bin or enclosure.
  • Cross-pile bagged materials on skids and pile only to a convenient height. The height depends on the nature and ability of the mechanical aids used and the weight of the bagged materials.

Bricks, Blocks, Tiles

  • Pile bricks, blocks or tiles on a solid, level surface only.
  • Use extreme caution when removing metal bands.
  • Do not stockpile material on a scaffold beyond the safe loading capacity.
Back To Top

Want more information?

You may be interested in these related products and services from CCOHS:

For further assistance with a particular workplace topic or issue, contact our Inquiries & Client Services team. This service is free, reliable, and confidential.


Document confirmed current on June 23, 2008

Document last updated on April 13, 1999

Copyright ©1997-2013 Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety