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.