5 Warehouse Safety Tips: Everyday Checklist
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Kevin
Safety is extremely important when it comes to working in a warehouse. Workers are often handling heavy equipment and transporting expensive materials. There are a few things you need to check on a daily basis to ensure you are providing a safe working environment for your employees.
Keep Workspaces Clear
One of the most important daily tasks you can perform for warehouse safety is ensuring workspaces are clear of any obstacles. Trash and recyclables should be disposed of immediately. Any spaces where work is performed should be kept neat and organized. Consider how things should be set up to improve workflow. Have a plan to deal with spills and clean them up as quickly as possible.
Supply and Wear PPE
Personal protection equipment is necessary for most warehouse environments. Supply your team with PPE relevant to the work they are doing. For instance, if there is a risk of something coming into contact with their eyes, provide goggles and require your team to wear them when they’re on the warehouse floor. Checks for employees’ compliance with PPE requirements should occur on a daily basis.
Perform Regular Inspections
Regular inspections are also a key part of warehouse safety. In addition to compliance checks on your employee’s protective equipment, you should be performing inspections on equipment and the warehouse floor in general. Many warehouses set up an inspection schedule to pinpoint different times throughout the day a check should be performed. These usually happen during shift changes or after breaks. Employees and supervisors should be provided with a checklist of things to inspect to ensure the safety of everyone on the team.
Provide Updated Training
Warehouse workers should be provided with regular training. The best way to keep your employees safe is to make sure their skills and knowledge are up to date. Changes to industry regulations are fairly common. You will also want to ensure they know about upcoming and new technologies entering the workspace as well. If there is an internal change, such as a change to the workflow or how reporting is done, provide training for that as well. Keeping up with this will help ensure your employees have everything they need to create the safest environment at work.
Encourage Your Staff to Communicate
Communication is a key factor in warehouse safety too. Encourage communication between employees on the floor. Sometimes, communicating can help avoid accidents. For example, one of your employees may see a hazard. Providing a verbal warning to other employees and then reporting the dangerous area to a supervisor can help avoid serious injury.
You can use communication to improve your processes too. Allow your staff to submit suggestions anonymously or hold meetings for your employees to provide feedback. They can provide you with information you need to improve your warehouse safety.
Part of workplace safety is having employees that are well-trained and qualified for the job. Working with a staffing agency can help you discover the top talent in your industry. Learn more about how the professionals at Timpl can assist you with your hiring needs.