Abstract
Roll box pallets (RBPs) are four-wheeled cages that are used in many industries and contribute to efficient logistics services. However, we found that many work-related injuries to the hands and feet occur during manual handling of RBPs in the logistics industry. To obtain an overview of RBPs accidents in various industries, the features of RBPs accidents and incidents were investigated based on reports of less than 4 days' absence from work in four prefectures in 2008. Our results showed that 55% of accidents occurred in the transportation industry, and the rest occurred in other industries. With respect to the type of injury, bruising accounted for 55% of accidents. In addition, these accidents were categorized into four types, making up 85% of the total number of accidents. It was considered that fingers, hands, and feet protectors and protective footwear that can protect toes were effective measures against such accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to provide RBPs workers with a manual reflecting the actual work-related injuries and specific countermeasures to avoid such accidents. Moreover, it is important to improve the RBPs design.
