The safety and welfare of your personnel and business, in general, are what will differentiate your warehouse business from the rest. Safety is one of the most important features of your warehouse business. Warehouses across vast Australia represent an utterly busy environment filled with numerous heavy equipment, and it's of utmost importance to put the safety on the number one spot. As your employees need to move large boxes, use forklifts, or deal with heights, it’s your duty as an employer to maximize the safety in your warehouse and provide a secure work environment. Here are some of the key steps you can implement to further enhance warehouse safety.
The very first thing every employee should have in mind is the severity of wearing protective gear. Unless you have safety hard hats, goggles, adequate steel-toed boots, and a vest when an accident occurs, the chances of suffering some form of injury are enhanced. For that matter, you should enforce the workman to wear PPE (personal protective equipment) with hi-visibility vests in the brightest color option, hard hats, and other safety and protective gear at all times while working with heavy loading and similar.
In Australia, for instance, around 40% of warehouse injuries are related to forklift accidents. The safety features should be applied if you use a forklift in your warehouse or if you offer professional forklift hire Sydney services. To prevent any type of accident caused by forklifts or other warehouse vehicles or other heavy equipment, you need to have experienced forklift operators handling them and follow meticulous guidelines. Also, to minimize potential damages, make sure you perform regular vehicle maintenance, have regular inspections, do not handle any loads heavier than the weight capacity of the forklift, do not exceed the speed limit, and follow all disciplinary procedures when using the equipment.
Another notable thing to pay attention to is fire safety. Fire safety within the warehouse is ultra vital especially around charging stations. To enhance warehouse safety, all employees must be familiar with fire codes and fire safety procedures. Besides employee education, you ought to prohibit smoking and open flames around charging stations, have an adequate ventilation system, and have fire extinguishers charged and available. Once you ensure these fire safety procedures are met you will undoubtedly increase the safety in your warehouse.
Employees who are not physically or mentally focused on the job are more prone to committing mistakes than others. Human error tends to be the reason for most accidents around the warehouse with or without involving equipment or vehicles. The best way to enhance warehouse safety is to train your employee properly and perform training or exercises once a few months in order to track their record. Besides being trained in how to lift and carry loads, and use flatbeds, ladders, and other equipment, employees should know how to act when danger occurs, perform first aid, and avoid working when they feel fatigued or ill, etc. Obtaining first aid certification for warehouse employees is an excellent initiative to enhance safety within the workplace and create a safer work environment.
When working in a warehouse, you need to operate your forklift with care and both the operator and pedestrian staff need to be attentive to the actions and work within the warehouse. To prevent any vehicles or forklift collisions, it would be useful to have clear floor marking tape to mark safe routes or traffic lanes. With a basic floor tape, you can mark out areas of your warehouse to keep other personnel out of harm. The same thing can be done with guardrails. By installing guardrails on ramps and corners, you would add protection for the pedestrian because the forklift operator or ride-on pallet truck drivers won't cut corners and drift into pedestrian zones and in that way enhance the risk assessment.
Loading docks, entrances, and exits are high-traffic areas in the warehouse, and it would be advisable to take precautionary measures there as well. When heavy vehicles, cargo, and employees intersect one another, the chances of fall accidents are highlighted. Secure the loading docks and other high-traffic areas by placing clear signings and making sure that ladders and dock stairs have handrails to ensure that nothing impedes the work of vehicles. Check whether the dock plates are well-secured, place bold emergency signage around the warehouse, and make sure that weight capacities are respected around high-traffic areas.
Various spills, water leakages, leftover cardboard boxes, and other mess can also cause accidents. From slips, and traps, to overall well-being, your warehouse must be a clean and tidy place to work in. You would surely avoid various mishaps and accidents by cleaning the aisles, re-organizing and replacing dated equipment, pallet, or boxes, throwing away unnecessary and unused materials, and collectively contributing to having a clutter-free and tidy warehouse.
Considering the above-mentioned tips is of crucial matter. Only by applying these effective security measures can you improve your warehouse safety.
