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Warehouses are vital components of many different businesses. After all, this is where stock is stored and counted, it’s where inventory is taken, and it’s the hub out of which orders ship by the dozens every single day. If you are concerned about the safety of the employees who work in your warehouse, the safety tips below can help.
Forklifts, carts, racks, and other equipment is always in the move in warehouses, and while your employees are likely aware of their presence, they can still present unique dangers. One of the best ways to ensure that collision-related accidents do not occur involves putting up pedestrian barriers throughout the facility. These barriers exist primarily to define the proper routes and traffic flow for pedestrians, operators moving loads, and forklift drivers, among others. By keeping everyone in their proper lanes, it is possible to significantly decrease risk, reduce injuries, and keep your warehouse workers safe.
Casters also play an important role when it comes to warehouse safety for a variety of reasons. Things as seemingly benign as noise can cause serious injury over time, but using the right casters, such as CasterShoX, can help reduce that noise and prevent hearing loss. Overexertion is yet another common injury, and there’s a good chance it costs your company more than any other injury, too. TWERGO casters can reduce push force by an average of 25%, and in some cases, it can reduce it by half. This alone reduces the risk of overexertion, which goes a long way toward keeping your workers safe.
Many businesses – especially small businesses that take pride in hiring locally rather than outsourcing jobs – believe that automation will replace people and take them away from their values. This is simply not the case. Automation can truly help keep warehouses safer without replacing a single job. For example, using line delivery carts to help automate the process of moving items across your warehouse doesn’t take anyone’s job; rather, it frees people up to concentrate on more important tasks. Automation may also include replacing a manual jack used to lift items with an electric one, which reduces the need for your workers to involve themselves in activities that could cause their injury.
Last, but most certainly not least, awareness training is one of the very best investments you can make in your employees. By helping your employees learn to be aware of their surroundings, it’s possible to reduce slips and falls, avoid collisions, and even help introduce your employees to dangers they weren’t even aware of. Employees should also be familiar with OSHA guidelines. You might opt for one longer meeting a month along with 15-minute follow-up sessions each Friday, for example. Just talking about safety is often enough to help reduce risks.
Keeping warehouse workers safe may seem like a tough job, but when you do simple things like require awareness training and ensure that you are using the right caster wheels, you are already reducing risk a great deal. Furthermore, introducing safer automated procedures and putting up pedestrian barriers can take safety a few steps further.
