When it comes to working in or operating a warehouse, safety is the most important thing to consider. Yes, we all want our warehouses to operate efficiently and to be profitable, but first and foremost, safety needs to be paramount. Here at Colby Dandenong, we have a number of warehouse safety solutions that we can advise on or implement, but, beyond simply putting safety measures in place, it’s also important to have a culture of safety in the workplace.
To help foster safety in warehouses, and workplaces in general, here are five warehouse safety tips you can easily implement.
Stay Safe Around Pallet Racking
As good a storage tool as pallet racking can be, it can also be dangerous if not used correctly. Damaged pallet racking or pallet racking that’s overloaded poses a significant safety risk because heavy pallets can fall off or, even worse, the pallet racking itself can collapse. Because of this, the most obvious safety tip for pallet racking is to avoid overloading it and, if it gets damaged for any reason, unload the pallet racking and get it fixed right away.
Another part of pallet racking safety is to ensure that the pallet racking is inspected regularly by a qualified person. This will ensure that any unfound damage, wear and tear, or other safety issues with the pallet racking can be corrected.
Keep Your Warehouse Tidy
A tidy warehouse is a safe warehouse.
If all workers take responsibility for warehouse cleanliness, making sure any spills are cleaned up quickly and that the floor is clear of clutter, tripping hazards and the potential for slip and fall injuries are removed.
With that, an untidy warehouse can also pose a danger during emergencies, making it difficult for people to evacuate or for emergency services to get to particular areas of the warehouse if needed.
Don’t Block Emergency Exists
This is an extension of keeping a warehouse tidy, but it’s also a warehouse safety tip of its own. During busy times, it may be tempting to simply store goods wherever they’ll fit, even if they are blocking emergency exits, but this creates an obvious hazard. A blocked emergency exit provides no use in an actual emergency.
Because of this, make sure emergency exits are always accessible and the path to them is unobstructed and easy to get to.
Keep Safety And Emergency Equipment Maintained And Up To Date
It’s all well and good to have equipment for general safety as well as equipment like fire extinguishers for use during emergencies, but all of this is useless if not maintained or up to date.
Safety equipment, like harnesses that may be used for working at height, gets worn out over time and either needs to be fixed or replaced. Staying on the harness example, if it’s worn out or frayed, it could break when it’s needed, causing injury.
Similarly, things like fire extinguishers need to be replaced or checked regularly to make sure they still work.
Report And Evaluate After Every Accident
Although the goal of every workplace should be zero accidents, they still happen from time to time. If an accident occurs, it’s important that it’s properly reported and investigated to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen again. In this way, workplace safety is continually improved as risks are removed or fixed.
This can only happen if a culture of safety is in place and any concerns are reported and dealt with quickly.
Let’s Talk Warehouse Safety
If you need help with your warehouse safety, contact us right away. Safety is important, and addressing safety concerns shouldn’t be delayed.
