The Warehouse Environment: How to Maximize Safety in the Workplace

Lizzie Weakley

August 04, 2017

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Safety is easily the most important consideration in any workplace, especially in a warehouse environment. If your employees are routinely getting hurt on the job, profits will inevitably be spent on paying settlements. Fortunately, many common work-related injuries can be prevented. Here are some things you can do to make your warehouse a safer place to work.

Training Programs

One of the most effective ways to maximize safety in the workplace is to offer training programs. Each worker, regardless of experience, must know how to properly use equipment and handle chemicals in order to do their job safely. If employers could rely solely on the common sense of their employees, there wouldn’t be as many workplace accidents as there are today. Programs like as these are offered by companies like Australia Wide Forklift Training Centre to ensure that any competent workers you hire will be adequately prepared for the tasks ahead of them.

Safety Meetings

Unfortunately, safety isn’t something you can take care of with one single action. Things change in the workplace all the time, whether it’s conditions, expectations, or the implementation of new tools and equipment. For this reason, regular safety meetings should be held to address new concerns as they come up. Additionally, there is always room for improvement. Employees should have a chance to bring forth any ideas or suggestions they may have, since they are directly involved in the work.

Signs

In the course of a workday, even the most safety-conscious employee can forget to put on their safety glasses or wash their hands. A hurried worker can neglect to warn others about a wet floor, which could lead to a costly fall. Signs must be there to remind them of the risks inherent in their line of work. They should be bright and easily seen from a distance, to ensure that every precaution has been taken. There should also be consequences for neglecting to use them.

Cleanliness

No matter how much training you provide or how many signs are present, nothing beats keeping a clean workplace. Messy areas create a higher potential for slips and falls that can send someone to the hospital. Stress to your workers the importance of keeping their areas as clean and dry as possible. Remind them that it’s for their own safety.

Proper Tools and Maintenance

Success is easily achieved when you have the right tools and equipment. Accidents happen far too frequently when workers attempt to use the wrong tool for the wrong job. While tools and equipment can be expensive, it’s not nearly as expensive as a disaster that injures multiple people. Remember also that the maintenance of these tools and equipment is equally important to ensuring that they can be used safely.

Rewards for Safe Behavior

Many companies reward their most productive or efficient employees, which is only natural. Unfortunately, some employees will cast aside all thoughts of safety in an effort to chase down their next bonus. For this reason, it makes sense to put the emphasis on safety, instead. Rewarding the safe achievement of the company’s objectives will pay off better in the long run than simply rewarding the end result.

These might seem like simple suggestions, but they’re the best way to ensure that safety remains the number one priority in your warehouse. The workplace is hazardous enough as it is without poorly trained employees, faulty equipment and dirty floors. Remember that you can’t expect your workers to take the necessary precautions if you're not willing to set an example.