Top Tips for a Safer Warehouse

As stated in The Workplace Regulations 1992, all employers must make warehouse safety and welfare a priority for their staff, including their health. Of course, you should already have formally written safety measures for the workplace. But in a busy, fast-paced warehouse it's easy for these practices to get ignored. 

If you're looking to figure out how you can improve your safety measures, then continue reading!

Vehicle and Equipment Operation 

Every year there is around 95,000 injuries and 100 deaths which are caused by accidents involving forklifts. You should ensure that only certified workers are using vehicles and heavy equipment to reduce the risk of accidents. It is also crucial that certified workers follow guidelines for their safety and correct operation of the equipment or vehicle. 

For further protection, it's always good to equip racking, columns and dock areas with bumpers. This will minimise the damage done to forklifts, employees or even the warehouse. It's always worth going the extra mile! 

Keep it smooth and tidy!

 Peace of mind and aesthetic appearances are just a few of the benefits of having a tidy and smoothly operative workplace. 

Clear walkways and efficient tidying measures will prevent slips, trips and other accidents while staff are working. You should also regularly replace equipment and storage facilities such as pallets and boxes. 

Organisation and Health & Safety have more in common than you think…

Racking and shelving are more than just storage facilities for stock; you need to consider loads of safety elements. First off, you cannot merely just place random boxes on your shelves with no thought! Each shelving or racking unit will have different load capacities, so your employees must know to distribute weight along the shelves evenly. It would help if you also had a stacking layout that makes sense and will ensure that your stock will be distributed effectively and ease access to critical parts of the warehouse. 

 Any type of shortcut to stacking or distributing goods should also be heavily discouraged amongst your employees. This work method highly increases the chances of accidents in the workplace such as falling boxes, or even entire storage units collapsing. A safe and sensible process will eliminate these chances.

Correct Signage saves Lives

Your employees will already know standard safety procedures such as emergency exits and first aid. But would they be able to find the location quickly? Ensuring that safety points and equipment are labelled efficiently will make you and your employees work lives so much easier. 

Emergency signage must be bold and stand out against its surrounding environment. You will also need to make sure that the signs can be seen by your employees from afar. 

Here at Strip Curtains Direct we are dedicated to helping you make your warehouse the safest and the most efficient it can be for you and your staff. To find out more about the equipment and signage we stock, give our team a call today on 0333 999 7171.