Warehouse Health & Safety
40% of my clients work out of a warehouse so we have a wealth of experience with working within this sector. It’s also one that I enjoy a great deal.
Warehouses contain many opportunities for accidents.
So, by their nature, there’s many issues within a warehouse from heavy duty machinery and equipment to storage of potentially hazardous or heavy items. Identifying where the hazards may occur in the first step is a safety process and following the appropriate legislation, as well as some general common-sense guidelines, you can lessen the risk of serious injury in your workplace. First, identify the warehouse risks following your risk assessment.
One of the main risks to be aware of in a warehouse are slips, trips and falls.
And this is one of the topmost common causes of accidents and can be wet or contaminated floor surfaces. Trips can also be a simple reason such as discarded straps, ties and other waste packaging boxes. Clearing up and tidying up is obviously a big tick. Manual handling can lead to work related muscular disorders, which accounts 8.9 million working days in 2019, 2020. Racking, it needs to be checked by a reputable supplier on a regular basis. All safe working storage loads need to be on the end of every aisle.
Vehicles
Being struck by a moving vehicle was the second highest cause of fatality in 2019/20. Forklifts trucks are a common site in warehouses. Legally only people with a forklift training certificate are allowed to operate them and no one under the age of 18. Forklift truck accidents can be severe and are usually a result of lack of training, supervision, vehicle maintenance, or poorly marked walkways. Signage. Safety signs, posters, and notices have already been frequently referenced within the warehouse industry. Cannot reiterate how valuable they are. Make sure you’ve got all the correct signage in place and checked on a regular basis.
Pedestrian areas
There should be a pedestrian walkway within a warehouse so that there’s a reduction of accidents. When it comes to warehouse safety, there’s many common sense rules to follow, can help prevent risk of accidents. Good housekeeping includes keeping work areas tidy, free from obstruction. Good organization means they are stored in assigned places and general fire safety includes ensuring all fire exits are cleared and fire extinguishers and sprinkler systems are not blocked.
If you need any support in your warehouse environment please contact us today on 07770 302504 or email joanne@chestnutassociates.co.uk, we have a wealth of experience in this sector.
