10 Warehouse Safety Tips
- October 27, 2020
- 0
Warehouses are extremely important for all industries however they can be a source of a disaster if safety measures are not appropriately taken. This article lists down some of the major warehouse safety tips which can help you store your things better.
You can also hire MACS Australia professional services to inspect and implement warehouse safety tips.
1. Make Use of Safety Equipment: It is vital to use safety equipment such as forklifts or hydraulic lifts to raise bulky products to prevent major back injuries.
2. Consider and Eliminate Potential Safety Hazards: Good housekeeping is supremely important. You cannot have liquid spills on the warehouse floor which could cause trip hazards. There should be regular checks on any stray cords, liquids, accumulated debris, cracks, and pits on the floor. These can cause severe injuries to employees and damage valuable machinery and cargo.
3. Clearly Mark Hazardous Zones: Make use of hazard signs and stickers in order to notify anyone accessing the warehouse about the whereabouts of hazardous materials. This not only keeps your warehouse organized by safe from any accidents.
4. Train Your Staff: Warehouse management staff needs to be properly trained to handle and move equipment. Proper training reduces the chance of accident and also prompts people to follow procedures meekly.
5. Appropriate Clothing for Warehouse Workers: Loose-fitting clothes should be avoided as they can get caught in the machinery or pallets, which can lead to injuries. Also, wearing protective clothing, including hard hats, gloves, vests, masks, and eye-wear is another valuable tip to ensure the safety of the workers in the warehouse.
6. Awareness Against Potential Safety Hazards: Promoting awareness about any potential safety hazards and alerting colleagues of passing machinery, such as forklifts, can drastically reduce accidents. This can be achieved through constant communication among employees.
7. Shelving Safety: You need to assess the weight the shelves in your warehouse can bear. Over burdening the shelves with weight can cause accidents and tumbling down of all the shelves lined in your warehouse.
8. Vehicle Safety: Whether you work with forklifts or lift trucks, vehicle safety is essential to preventing crush injuries. This can be done by ensuring workers are provided proper practical training about maintaining speed limits, avoiding reversing whenever possible, and being aware of blind spots. It’s also important to enforce a zero-tolerance policy about reckless driving.
9. Fire Safety Drills: Fire and smoke alarms should be tested on a regular basis. Drills help you check if these alarms work and also with creating and updating a safe evacuation and emergency plan. Ensuring the installation of emergency lights can go a long way in making sure staff safely evacuates.
10. Ventilation is Important: A crucial part of a safe warehouse is good ventilation, but it is usually overlooked by employers. Limited air circulation can lead to stagnation of fumes and vehicle exhaust in the warehouse, which can hinder both employee comfort and safety. Putting in exhaust fans can help ensure that the warehouse is well ventilated.