Safety in a warehouse should be a priority. Unfortunately, many of the safety measures and procedures in a warehouse are often overlooked.
Risk factors and potential hazards in any warehouse are two times bigger than in any other workplace. This is in part thanks to all the heavy equipment used in warehouses and the heavy-traffic environment, and, in part, because warehouse workers aren’t properly trained or prepared for the work in such an environment.
Let’s see what you can do to increase safety in your warehouse.
Supply personal protective equipment
Personal protective equipment plays a crucial part in warehouse safety. Everyone working in the warehouse must have personal protective equipment (PPE). It’s not only a law but common sense that workers should be supplied with proper PPE that would protect them against hazards.
A warehouse is a place where numerous accidents can happen – from falling objects, loud and electrical equipment, and moving vehicles to hazardous chemicals. As the owner of the warehouse, you need to supply workers with different types of PPE.
Personal protective equipment is equipment and apparel worn to protect the worker’s body against potential hazards and injury. Different types of head protection, eye and face protection, arm and hand, leg and foot protection, hearing protection, and body protection are considered to be PPE.
Enable safe equipment and vehicle operation
Many types of heavy equipment and vehicles are used to transport, store, move, load, unload, lift, and lower warehouse goods. Unfortunately, it’s precisely heavy equipment and vehicles that are usually involved in injuries and even deaths in warehouses. Specifically, forklifts.
It’s highly important to have strict rules and regulations regarding who can use and operate vehicles and other equipment. Only workers who have had proper training can operate vehicles such as forklifts, loaders, and so on.
You should also make sure that you provide bumpers that will protect racks, shelves, columns, and dock areas. These bumpers will protect employees, vehicles, and the warehouse in general.
Another important thing is to properly maintain your vehicles and equipment. And if you’re buying or renting equipment and vehicles such as forklifts, make sure you find a reliable company like MLA Holdings.
Ensure shelving safety
Shelving and racking systems inside a warehouse are important. So, it makes sense that you’d want to invest in proper, sturdy, and quality shelves and racks. If the shelving and racking systems are old, broken, or damaged, they can be very dangerous.
In addition to quality shelves, it’s really important to know how to distribute the weight along the shelves properly. Too much weight on one side can topple the shelve, or break it – destroying the warehouse goods and seriously injuring someone.
As an additional safety measure, shelves and racks should be regularly checked to make sure that everything is secure and safe to be used.
Improve employee ergonomics
Some mistakes in a warehouse are inevitable. However, mistakes that are made because employees are tired or strained, are mistakes that can easily be avoided. Human error is the second most common reason accidents and injuries occur.
To avoid or reduce human errors, you should improve employee ergonomics. This means that all your employees should have proper training and they should be aware of all safety measures available to them.
Every employee should know how to properly lift and carry the load, how to use certain vehicles and equipment, a ladder, and other similar items found in a warehouse.
Boost loading docks safety
As you know, loading docks are where all the high traffic is – from employees, and cargo, to heavy vehicles. This is why you should make sure this particular place in your warehouse is especially safe.
To avoid accidents and injuries in the loading dock areas, make sure you provide different types of handrails, brightly colored tape, warning signs, bumpers, and other similar safety measures.
Enable proper ventilation
Warehouses are large places packed full of shelvings, stacks, and racks that can easily block the airflow inside the building. Without proper indoor ventilation, a warehouse can become full of stagnant, warm, and dusty air, full of vehicle exhaust gas.
Working in an environment without proper ventilation is very undesirable and unhealthy. To provide a healthy working environment to your staff, you should make sure that all vents are unobstructed and the air can circulate.
Just to make sure, have someone perform monthly ventilation maintenance. During the maintenance make sure the vents are dust-free and unobstructed.
Display signage
In addition to all the above-mentioned safety measures, properly displaying signage is equally as important. Emergency signage for first aid, fire extinguishers, signs for vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and also emergency exit signs should all be displayed clearly and in visible places.
Believe it or not, it’s precisely having the proper signage that can prevent a lot of hazards and injuries in the warehouse.
Provide training and hold regular team meetings
As the owner of a warehouse, you should provide regular health and safety training to all your employees. Both the old and new ones. Everyone should be aware of all the rules and regulations, just as everyone should know how to give first aid if necessary.
In addition to training, you should hold regular team meetings with your staff. These team meetings can be a great way to remind everyone of potential risks and to inform them of any safety changes.
With these couple of tips, you’ll be able to significantly increase the safety in your warehouse. Making sure your employees are safe and secure is not just a necessity but a law. So, make sure you protect your workers from any potential harm.
