How to provide a safe working environment in a warehouse

With many hazards that can lead to serious injuries, warehouses can often be dangerous places to work. It is important for business owners to take steps to create a safe working environment in their warehouse, and ensure that warehouse employees are aware of the risks and how to avoid them. This blog post explores the danger points of any warehouse and some of the methods employed to provide a safe working environment for your personnel.

Workplace accidents

When we talk about warehouse security, the core subject is essentially work-related injuries and how to safeguard your staff. Although warehouse security can mean many other subjects, such as theft attempts, fire safety, structural damage, and guarding against natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes, this article focuses on the safety of human resources, your most important asset. 

Why protecting your staff from workplace injuries is important

Workplace injuries can be costly, both in terms of productivity and employee morale. In order to avoid workplace injuries, it is important to take a proactive approach. We could talk about the benefits of having a warehouse with a low rate of injuries, but when it comes to hazards, our brains don't tabulate the number of times things go right, but rather how often things go wrong. It’s by specifically identifying the risks that we can protect ourselves against them effectively. 

So what will be the results of a high rate of injuries at your workplace? This is what you can expect when caution is thrown into the wind and your workplace is one where injuries are too common:

1. Low employee morale
2. A high turnover rate
3. Higher training costs
4. Higher insurance costs
5. A poor corporate image
6. Lower trust from your existing and potential clients

What the data says about warehouse injuries

According to the business website Supply & Demand Chain Executive, $250 billion is spent annually in the U.S. to take care of work-related injuries. Suffice it to say, the vast majority of these injuries happen in industrial settings, where most tasks involve heavy machinery. These are often associated with construction sites, but factory injuries are not uncommon, and the warehouse industry experiences its fair share of work-related incidents.

Are serious storage facility injuries common?

Thankfully, fatal warehouse-related accidents are very rare. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 1.6M people were employed across warehouses and storage facilities in the United States, as the industry recorded an injury rate of 5.5% with a total of 46 fatalities. According to the same source, 2.3% of cases required time away from work for convalescence.

Where are the dangers in a warehouse?

When we talk about “dangers”, we refer to a mix of different things that require special attention, and that is conducive to incidents and worker-related injuries. They can refer to a piece of equipment, an activity, stored goods, or zones.

Here are the main danger points of a warehouse: 

• Forklifts
• Loading docks
• Conveyors
• Shelving goods
• Charging stations
• Manual handling
• Hazardous chemicals
• Snow removal

Forklifts

Forklifts are a useful tool for warehouses, but they can be dangerous if not used correctly. According to the California-based law firm Invictus Law, forklifts were the cause of 78 deaths and 7,290 injuries in the US in 2020 across all industries using this type of equipment, while 23% of these incidents took place in the transportation and warehousing industries. There is a risk of injury from falls or getting struck by another object while operating them incorrectly in your facility's loading docks and alleyways.

To keep your staff and yourself safe when using these machines, follow some basic tips:

• Only employees who have obtained proper forklift training and certification should be allowed to operate these vehicles,
• Forklifts must be properly maintained, and ones with defective parts should be decommissioned until the problem is solved. Have your staff make a daily verification of each forklift, and have them note the early signs of breakage
• Clean and keep dry the aisles of your warehouse at all times
• Avoid dangerous storage practices, such as placing items so heavy that they could compromise the safety of forklift operators when placing them on top-tier shelves
• Forklift operators must always wear protective gear, such as industrial-grade hard hats, gloves, and protective eyewear whenever handling any type of load on these machines.

Loading docks

Loading docks are dangerous zones, as they are areas where employees conduct the process of unloading and loading trucks containing heavy palettes. One of the most common types of accidents in warehouses is when a member of the staff gets pinned or crushed by forklifts on loading docks. 

To minimize the risks of injuries on loading docks, follow these security measures:

• Forklift operators need to be mindful of their surroundings and drive slowly on dock plates, making sure there are no distractions or hazardous conditions.
• Have the loading dock area identified clearly as a dangerous zone with signage. 

Conveyors

Conveyors are devices that can move goods rapidly within a storage space. To ensure this efficiency, these machines consist of several moving parts, creating potentially dangerous conditions for operators.  

To ensure the safety of workers, conveyors should never be used without precautions. These include:

• Ensuring there is space around each individual machine so that it can move freely and not get tangled up with other pieces of equipment or objects.
• Train your conveyor operators adequately.

Shelving goods

Whether performed with a forklift or manually with a ladder, you should always be aware of the dangers that can come from stacking goods on shelves.

Practice these simple measures to reduce the risk of injuries:

• Keep the aisles clean and void of objects, keeping an eye out for slip hazards or trip spots.
• Keep all pieces of equipment in perfect working order. 

Manual handling of goods

Improper manual lifting and handling is the most common cause of physical injuries in warehouse facilities. The repetitive motion, awkward postures, or overexertion can lead to musculoskeletal disorders if not followed properly with procedures for safe practices during work hours.

• The best way to avoid injury while working in the office is by learning and teaching ergonomic principles.

Hazardous materials

Handling and storing hazardous chemicals in warehouses can lead to accidents. 

To help prevent these unfortunate events, you should:

• Handle each hazardous product while aware of its specific dangers
• Implement a hazard communication program with proper training on identifying chemical hazards and disposal methods for all workers.

Charging/refueling stations

Charging stations are where machinery gets recharged or refueled. The main risks associated with these areas are fire, inhalation of fumes, and electrocution. But the use of charging stations in warehouse facilities is essential to the safe functioning and operation. 

Safety measures for these areas include:

• Keeping charging areas clean and dry. Any spill must be cleaned immediately.
• Have the area continuously ventilated. 

Snow removal

Although not the reality for all locations, snow storms can accentuate the risks of work-related injuries.

• If snow needs to be removed from your warehouse roof, have your staff proceed after each heavy snowfall.
• Ground snow will mean wet facility floors, particularly near loading docks. Monitor the floor conditions and maintain them as needed.

Develop a guide to safety procedures

A security protocol focusing on occupational safety and warehouse security measures must be implemented to reduce the risk of incidents and instill the importance of safety among your team.

An effective security protocol includes the following:

1. A customized safety manual focusing on all possible hazards in your warehouse and adapted safety measures
2. Safety training tailored to new employees
3. Periodic safety drills involving all employees
4. Delegate roles in case of an emergency, and allow for redundancy (several employees should know more than one role)
5. Adopt a signage system indicating the hazards and the proper gear to be worn in any specific zone

Practicing warehouse safety measures is a top priority in any facility. By implementing these tips, you can help create a safer workplace for your warehouse employees. In return, this will boost employee morale, reduce costs associated with a high turn over and boost your organization’s image, one that will be regarded as well-structured and responsible.