Workplace injuries can cost employees and employers thousands so it’s essential to make work environments safe. In 2021/22, 565,000 employees experienced an injury at work, and 36.8 million working days were lost to work-related illness and injury.
With the right procedures in place, you can ensure the productivity and safety of the employees in your warehouse:
Clear signage
Having clear signage is key to increasing functionality in the workplace and will help prevent overcrowding or any conditions that increase the likelihood of an accident. Every angle needs to be covered to ensure health and safety so special attention needs to be drawn to areas of importance. This could be for dangerous chemicals, machinery, first aid, and directions for proper handling.
You can paint directional arrows on the floor to guide warehouse vehicles or equipment, as well as where goods need to be loaded and off-loaded. If any areas are closed off, bollards and signage need to be placed visibly.
Secure fittings
Accidents involving unsecured goods and poor storage are common in warehouses but easily avoidable with the proper shelving solutions. Shelves and racks can maximise your warehouse space and be secured with eyebolts from suppliers like RS to prevent goods from tipping over.
The right solution for you will depend on the size and weight of what you’re storing, along with the maximum height you want to stack. Shelving systems are typically accessed by hand while racks need forklift assistance. Having secure fittings will reduce the likelihood of workplace injury when handling warehouse goods.
Health and safety fittings
Before your employees set foot in your warehouse, they should have gone through rigorous health and safety training. This ensures that they are aware of the risks and know how to proceed when a hazard has been identified. Health and safety training topics should include the proper use of PPE, hazard communication, equipment safety, and ergonomics.
Different warehouses will have their own specific risks depending on what you’re storing, and the equipment being used. It is a good idea to do a risk assessment to decide which training topics you need to cover to keep your workers safe.
PPE
Accidents are inevitable in the workplace, but PPE can help reduce the damage done to employees if an incident should occur. PPE stands for personal protective equipment and is safety apparel that can minimise the physical risks of hazards. This could be dust, electrical equipment, chemicals, falling objects, and moving vehicles.
Eye and face protection such as safety goggles and respirators provide coverage to reduce the risk of foreign bodies being inhaled. If your employees will regularly be involved in the transportation of heavy goods, then foot and leg protection like steel toe work boots can protect limbs from falling objects.
