Are you worried about the safety of your warehouse employees? Well, good! With almost 40 million doctor’s office visits in the US each year for unintentional injuries and countless health risks in a warehouse environment, you should be.
Thankfully, there are numerous warehouse precautions you can take to keep everyone safe! Keep reading to discover 5 essential warehouse safety tips.
- Supply the Proper PPE
The first thing to ensure is that you’re abiding by your responsibilities as an employer to provide appropriate personal protective equipment to the workforce. In a warehouse, this will include things like high-vis jackets, earplugs, hard hats, and goggles. However, different roles have their own hazards, so the PPE you supply must be specific to each person’s job!
- Provide Proper Training
Training’s another core component of keeping your team safe. It’s imperative that everyone has a firm grasp of a) their roles and responsibilities, b) how to stay safe on the job, and c) what to do in emergencies. To make sure everyone’s confident and capable in the warehouse, teach them:
- Basic first-aid,
- How to lift heavy goods,
- How to operate dangerous equipment (such as forklift trucks), and
- How to handle hazardous materials.
- Prioritize Cleanliness
Clean, tidy, and well-organized warehouses are safer for everyone too. There’s less clutter that could lead to trips (onto a hard concrete floor!) and no spills that could cause slips. Likewise, with waste material in the bin, relevant materials packed away, and sharp tools in their rightful place, you should experience fewer minor first-aid issues.
- Use Safety Data Sheets
Does your warehouse utilize hazardous substances and materials (such as powerful cleaning products and chemicals)? If so, you’ll have to:
- Put comprehensive safety data sheets (SDS) in all the right places and
- Keep them stored in a safe and responsible manner.
Unsure how to fulfill either of these obligations? Turn to professional services for support and/or get your hands on an ultimate SDS guide.
- Restock Your First-Aid Kits
It’s one thing to have a first-aid kit on the warehouse floor. It’s another thing altogether to have a well-stocked first-aid kit positioned in all the necessary places (complete with warehouse safety signs showing their location).
Fail in that regard and your employees might lack the resources to handle any minor medical emergencies that arise. Make it your mission to look inside your kits on a regular basis. Then, if you’re running low on anything, take action to restock them ASAP.
Don’t Forget These Warehouse Safety Tips
Workplace injuries of varying severity happen every single day in America. That’s why it’s so crucial for employers to do whatever they can to protect their employees! Are you in charge of a warehouse and want to know how you can do exactly that?
Well, we hope the warehouse safety tips in this post will help! Put all of the advice into action and your workforce are sure to enjoy exponential health and safety improvements. To continue your education on similar topics, search ‘safety’ on the website now.
