Following reports from The Road Haulage Association (RHA) that British businesses are shunning exporting goods to the EU due to Brexit red tape, Midland Pallet Trucks, a provider of high-quality materials handling equipment including pallet trucks, manual stacker trucks and lift tables, is urging those working within the warehousing sector to consider the safety and wellbeing of their employees.
Covid tests, additional customs paperwork and the fear of being stuck in port for days are causing many British businesses to either stop or significantly reduce the volume of products they export to the EU.
In turn, this is creating a serious knock-on effect for a warehousing industry that is already suffering from increased demand due to the rising popularity of online shopping and a lack of good quality warehousing space.
According to official statistics, the UK exported £294bn of goods and services to the EU in 2019 which represented 43% of UK trade. Many predict a decline in 2021 unless an agreement can be reached to make it easier for UK companies to export goods to the EU.
As discussions can take months to reach their conclusion, Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of Midland Pallet Trucks is urging those responsible for warehouse space here in the UK to remain vigilant when it comes to the safety of their workers. He said, “As stocks begin to pile up due to post-Brexit red tape, the importance of health and safety for UK warehouse workers should not be put aside.
“The sector has been under significant pressure for some time due to Brexit and the Coronavirus pandemic with staff struggling to keep up with consignments, so now workers are facing another hurdle with calls to be more productive than ever before as exports to the EU slow. It’s vital that staff are given the right manual handling and lift equipment to do their jobs safely in an environment that safeguards their wellbeing.”
