Warehouse activities pose endless safety and health risks. With the continuous flow of goods, the movement of vehicles and heavy traffic, accidents in the workplace may occur. As an employer or manager, you need to understand common warehouse hazards, as they can cause serious injury and death. If you do not implement appropriate safety measures, your warehouse may face legal problems, employee turnover, injury, poor employee performance, lost working days, or even death. According to the U.S. Bureau of labor statistics, there are about 16 fatal accidents in the U.S. warehousing industry every year. The bureau also reported that five out of every 100 storage and warehouse workers were ill and injured.
Safety procedures must protect your workforce from warehouse hazards and hazards to ensure that they complete their work safely. The promotion of warehouse safety measures is conducive to compliance and good practices. In addition, keep appropriate measures to show that you care and value your employees, which can motivate them and increase trust. Here are 12 workplace safety tips to remember to minimize workplace accidents.
(1) Slips, trips and falls
Warehouse safety statistics show that about 5% of warehouse staff will experience industrial injury every year. In the world, slips, trips and falls are closely related to work-related injuries. Some studies have also shown that falling from height leads to death in most workplaces. According to the health and safety administration, about 40 workers died from falls and nearly 118000 were injured by slips and trips. Many measures to prevent slips, trips and falls involve common sense and proactive methods. Some of these procedures include.
Routine cleaning - you should ensure that all your team members know how to conduct proper housekeeping. They don't have to wait until the accident happens to prevent it. Therefore, the workplace should be kept clean and orderly. They can do this by cleaning up spills, keeping cables away from aisles, and removing any obstacles in the path.
Make the floor flat - uneven floors are the main factor leading to slips and falls. This is particularly dangerous if people carry heavy objects. That's why it makes sense to keep the warehouse floor level.
Display appropriate warning signs - ensure that cleaners display warning signs where everyone can see them. You can also schedule cleaning work during non working hours to reduce the risk of injury.
(2) Fire and emergency
Fire tragedy is one of the biggest warehouse risks. It not only destroys the goods, but also destroys the structure of the warehouse. In addition, it will hurt people and lead to the loss of production time and resources. Therefore, whether it occurs through destruction or natural means, it is necessary to understand the appropriate steps to be taken in case of fire. Here's how you can ensure fire safety.
Regularly test fire alarms - all fire related equipment should be inspected regularly to ensure that they are in good condition. You should test the fire alarm at least once a week and the smoke alarm once a month. It is best to carry out routine inspection and sprinkler.
Install emergency lighting - fire exits, signs and escape routes should be properly lit so that people can find them from a distance. This makes navigation easier and safer.
Conduct exercises at least once a year - the best way to judge whether employees can correctly handle emergencies through irregular exercises. The drill can also inform you whether the fire passage can complete the task. It can also help you know whether your workers know the location of assembly points and escape routes.
(3) Vehicle safety
Warehouse vehicles refer to motorized trolleys, forklifts and pallet lifts. All these types of machinery are conducive to the daily transportation of goods in the warehouse. If not handled properly, these vehicles will cause crushing injury and damage the warehouse structure. According to OSHA, about 38% of the 100000 forklift accidents in 2015 resulted in serious injuries and deaths. In order to minimize fatal accidents in the warehouse, you need to maintain vehicle safety measures, including the following.
Only trained employees are allowed to drive vehicles - you should implement strict policies on who should drive warehouse vehicles. To stop motorists, only licensed workers are allowed to drive vehicles.
Ensure that workers comply with speed limits - ensure that workers maintain the recommended speed limits. You can use signs to show the specified speed limit in the warehouse.
Keep roads clear of obstacles - workshop safety involves workers following best housekeeping practices. They should know how to deal with packaging materials so that there are no obstacles in the passage.
(4) Handling hazardous equipment
Warehouse - internal when it comes to handling hazardous chemicals in your warehouse, a hazard communication plan should be established. Your plan requires training in personal protective equipment (PPE), proper handling, handling and storage of chemicals. For example, workers must have the knowledge to deal with dangerous goods such as batteries to ensure the safety of the workplace. Here are some battery safety procedures to follow in the warehouse.
Wear approved safety goggles - workers should wear approved safety goggles and face masks when contacting batteries.
Use gloves when handling - staff should be trained on how to handle batteries. They should also wear gloves and use designated equipment to avoid damaging the battery.
Avoid contact with battery liquid - workers should be careful not to contact battery liquid. And if they accidentally get into the eyes, if they don't know how to deal with it, they should ask for help.
The battery cannot be in contact with metal - metal is a good conductor of electricity, and contact with the battery will lead to electric shock. In addition, your warehouse should have good ventilation to allow proper air circulation.
On the other hand, workers should also comply with appropriate battery watering safety guidelines. These guidelines include workers wearing gloves, masks and Rubber Aprons when watering batteries. This task should also be performed by trained staff to minimize the risk of injury. Similarly, you should discourage your employees from watering the battery in an open fire. Improper battery watering can lead to underwater or excessive watering.
Insufficient watering. This happens when the battery receives less water than it needs. Insufficient water will overheat the battery and produce violent gas when charging. It may also lead to sulfation, which affects the safety of the battery.
Water too much. Too much water in the battery is not good news. Too much watering will overflow the electrolyte when the battery is charged. As a result, the electrolyte may be diluted, thereby reducing the battery capacity.
(5) Shelf
Shelves and pallets are usually used in warehouses. They occupy a lot of space and are easy to cause accidents. Typically, they involve vehicle and mechanical motion. It is best to find ways to prevent injury or damage to these equipment.
Shelves - regular inspection of the shelf system can help. This can be done by professionals or your employees to ensure that the system is in good condition. You can also install heavy nets in the back to prevent goods from falling.
Pallet - the pallet structure needs to be checked regularly. Wood pallets may require proper maintenance and replacement. You should also encourage your workers to comply with weight restrictions.
(6) Training
Health and safety training for employees will not only help them understand their environment, but also comply with the law. Workers should know how to protect themselves and maintain safety measures in the warehouse. The best way to achieve this goal is.
Train yourself first - as an employer or manager, you need a higher level of training than workers. This will give you the necessary education to help guide them.
Provide technical and practical training for employees - provide workers with basic and technical knowledge on health and safety essentials. Make sure they understand the different types of risks in the workplace and how to deal with them. You should also provide practical courses, including how to use the different equipment in the warehouse.
(7) Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Every worker needs personal protective equipment to help protect them from possible accidents at work. This includes appropriate clothing to allow free movement in the workplace and to protect them from bumps, cuts and scratches. Other personal protective equipment includes work gloves, goggles, recommended footwear, hard hat and breathing mask. All these personal protective equipment are essential. However, you need to conduct risk assessments for different tasks to determine what each worker needs.
(8) Manual lifting and handling
At certain times, workers may be required to carry out manual or machine assisted handling activities. These tasks put them at high risk of accidents if appropriate safety measures are not implemented. That is, you need to implement safety procedures to minimize the risk of lifting.
Conduct manual lifting safety training for workers - your employees should know their manual lifting weight limits and how to reduce strain.
Ensure that workers use store chains properly - check chains regularly to ensure that workers use them correctly to prevent metal rust, fatigue and bending.
Ensure lifting equipment operators understand the maximum safe working load - the safe working load comes with the manufacturer's instructions. Compliance with these limits is essential to minimize equipment damage.
(9) Conveyor
Conveyors play an important role in transporting goods from one warehouse to another. If not handled properly, they can cause great harm to workers, including being hit by falling goods and being drawn into the machine. In order to promote the safety of the warehouse and ensure you.
Protect the conveyor - proper protective measures help to form a safe gap between the equipment and workers to prevent entanglement of hair, body parts and clothes.
Follow correct maintenance and repair procedures (locking and marking measures).
(10) Charging station
Charging stations are key areas because they are used to charge the powered machines to perform their functions. All functional devices can be powered by batteries, liquefied petroleum gas or gasoline. Without proper safety guidelines, the charging station may explode and fire. In order to avoid these dangers, please pay attention to the following points.
Proper ventilation - your workshop should have adequate ventilation to disperse harmful gases. Engineering personnel shall also wear appropriate personal protective equipment. Also, remember to install shower and eye wash facilities to help workers when exposed to chemicals.
Keep the charging station away from open flames - smoking should be away from the charging station. In addition, ensure that fire extinguishers are available and extinguish fires in case of fire.
(11) Storage of materials
Improper or careless storage of goods on shelves may cause other workers to trip and fall. Follow these tips to minimize these hazards.
Clear aisles and passages - aisles should be kept clear to prevent workers from slipping and falling.
Report injuries immediately - workers should be trained to report any form of accident immediately.
The load shall be properly placed - the load shall be evenly stacked in a suitable position. Move them carefully to avoid falling on other objects.
Compliance with OSHA guidelines - all employees should also comply with OSHA guidelines and any non-compliance should be reported.
(12) Hazardous chemicals
Hazardous chemicals will bring great risks to employees. You should train workers how to deal with all kinds of chemicals in the warehouse. This means that you need to implement an effective plan to train them in the handling, storage and disposal of hazardous chemicals. In order to ensure the safety of the warehouse, workers need to.
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment - chemicals can be highly reactive. This is why workers need to use appropriate personal protective equipment when handling hazardous chemicals. This includes gloves, eye protectors, masks, aprons and appropriate footwear.
Training - you should also ensure that workers are trained in the best ways to deal with chemicals and how to deal with accidents.
Keep the warehouse clean - spills should also be cleaned immediately. Some chemicals are highly corrosive and will damage the floor if placed for a long time.
Provide first aid kit - first aid kit is essential in any warehouse. Provide them and ensure that they have all the tools they need in the event of an accident. If workers are injured, it can help provide basic care.
Your workplace needs to provide a safe working environment for workers. Without this, injuries and deaths can mean legal liability, insurance documents, worker compensation, medical expenses and other issues. You can minimize these problems by implementing appropriate health and safety plans and following OSHA guidelines.
