Most warehouses are full of large boxes and dangerous equipment, making injuries all too common. Injuries can have a number of expensive consequences for both injured workers and warehouse owners. Follow these ultimate tips for avoiding warehouse injuries to keep everyone in the business safe.
Research Best Practices
The first step in keeping workers safe is knowing what the best practices are for warehouses. Over time, things may change, so plan time to perform research so that you can stay informed about safety laws, regulations, and ideal methods.
Hire Safety Personnel
Having a designated safety officer is another important step in preventing workplace injuries. The safety officer should be someone who is responsible and unwilling to compromise on safety issues. Complacency is often the first step toward a dangerous accident.
Train Constantly
New hires should receive clear and up-to-date information about your warehouse’s safety procedures, including whether or not they are allowed to use dangerous machinery. If so, they should receive additional training related to that equipment. After hire, all employees should review the safety information again at regular intervals.
Utilize Signage
Make sure employees can distinguish the different work zones by placing brightly colored tape around the premises. Doing so helps employees know to stay away from certain areas or watch out for changes in terrain, like stairs and inclines. Post signs around the warehouse that warn employees of dangerous chemicals and equipment and advertise correct safety precautions.
Use Proper Safety Gear
One of the most important steps to avoiding warehouse injuries is to ensure all employees dress appropriately for work and that they have access to necessary safety gear. The safety officer should perform routine checks to inspect the gear for any problems, further decreasing the chances of accidents and injuries.
Replace Old Equipment
When equipment gets old, it becomes harder to maintain, leading to problems that can cause accidents. This is especially true of anything large and mechanical, including equipment used for packaging and shipping heavy pallets. An automized palletizer is a great example of a machine that keeps workers safe by decreasing the need for human involvement in warehouse operations.
Keep Up With Maintenance
Once you have an optimal equipment setup, keep it working smoothly and safely by having a safety officer perform regular inspections. Should they find a problem, fix it immediately to keep any dangerous accidents from occurring. Never penalize workers for pointing out faulty equipment, even if it costs you time and money to fix it.
Increase Accountability
Keep track of when equipment receives maintenance and when individual workers borrow tools by incorporating sign-in sheets into your safety practices. In case of a problem, you will have a reliable record of who last used a particular tool or who was responsible for performing safety inspections. The record will help save you valuable time in tracking down employees in a busy warehouse.
No one wants a warehouse accident. Use these tips to keep employees safe and save your business money in the long run.
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