Working in a warehouse is much different than working in an office setting. Employees must maintain constant vigilance to ensure operations proceed as safely and efficiently as possible. Many different injuries and illnesses can occur as a result of working in a warehouse, and the warehouse manager bears the responsibility to monitor and mitigate any safety risks their employees may encounter. The following tips for staying safe in a warehouse will help reduce the number of workplace injuries among your employees.
Ensure thorough training
One of the most important tips for staying safe in a warehouse is to provide thorough job training to all employees. Onboarding and training programs should not only instruct employees as to their daily duties and expectations but should also provide in-depth information regarding the type of workplace hazards they may encounter while on the job. As we’ve stated, warehouse employees are more likely to experience serious workplace hazards than office employees might, so they will require more extensive and specialized training. OSHA training is one such program that is of the utmost importance for warehouse employees. OSHA training helps employees recognize the potential dangers they may encounter while on the job and provides them with adequate training for how to handle these hazards should they arise. OSHA training will help your employees understand how to safely operate heavy machinery and potentially hazardous materials such as paint thinner, chemicals, or biohazardous materials.
Provide proper PPE
Employees should be able to take their safety into their own hands as well. Providing all employees with proper protective equipment is the best way to do just that. Personal protective equipment, or PPE as it’s more commonly known, refers to any clothing or garments that are designed explicitly to protect the wearer from injury or infection. The extent of PPE will likely vary depending on the task at hand. For most tasks in a warehouse, however, PPE will include a hard hat, safety goggles, protective gloves, and steel-toe safety boots. Warehouses can be quite hectic and loud at times, and the noise may be further amplified in warehouses that utilize heavy machinery. For this reason, many warehouses also require their employees to wear earplugs when operating machinery.
Establish reliable safety procedures
In order to ensure efficient and safe business operations, you should establish a reliable set of safety procedures for your company to abide by. These procedures should encompass both daily procedures and emergency action plans. Be sure to carefully detail your company’s fire safety plan, emergency action plans, and workplace injury procedures. These plans will serve as your guidebook in the event an accident does occur.