Working in a warehouse can be dangerous. Warehouse workers often use forklifts and other heavy machinery (i.e. aerial and scissor lifts) to pull, prepare, deliver, and pick up orders. If warehouse personnel cannot prioritise forklift safety or operate other heavy machinery with precision and care, they expose themselves and others to a myriad of hazards.
Common Warehouse Heavy Machinery Safety Issues
Some of the most common warehouse heavy machinery safety issues include:
1. Improper Use
Heavy machinery must be operated and maintained in accordance with OSHA requirements. Failure to comply with these requirements increases the risk of heavy machinery accidents. And if a business is found out of compliance with these requirements, it can face fines and penalties as well.
2. Unsecured Load
Warehouse workers must secure their load on all lift equipment. Otherwise, if a load is off-center, it can cause a tip-over. In this instance, the accident can cause serious injury or death. It can also result in property and equipment damage along with financial losses.
3. Over-Capacity Load
When using a forklift, aerial, or scissor lift, a warehouse operator must look at the machine’s load capacity. If he or she exceeds the lift’s load capacity, the machine can tip over.
4. Poor Floor Conditions
Wet or slippery floors are slick. When heavy machinery is used on a slick floor, the risk increases that it will slide into a wall or column. Even worse, the machinery can inadvertently strike other warehouse personnel. In addition, damage to warehouse floors like cracks, holes, or uneven concrete can be a major safety concern. For instance, if a forklift operator drives over floor bumps or holes, the machine can become unstable, resulting in a tip-over.
5. Defective Machinery
Heavy machinery must be inspected before use. For instance, consider what can happen if a warehouse forklift is not inspected properly. If a warehouse forklift’s horn is defective, the operator cannot warn others when he or she is using the machine nearby. Or, if the scissor lift’s brakes malfunction, the operator won’t necessarily be able to stop the machine. In either of these scenarios, the warehouse lift operator can put himself or herself and others in danger.
Proper training offers a great starting point to help warehouse workers guard against common heavy machinery safety issues. For instance, a business can implement a training program that educates workers about such problems. It can also provide ongoing safety tips and other guidance to ensure warehouse personnel is well-equipped to identify and mitigate these issues before they escalate.
Common Warehouse Safety Issues
In addition to the aforementioned heavy machinery safety issues, warehouse workers must plan ahead for a wide range of everyday dangers. Common warehouse safety problems include:
1. Slips and Trips
Warehouse workers are not immune to slips and trips, and there are many reasons why they occur. In some instances, boxes and other items can be improperly stored on a warehouse floor, and workers can trip over them. There can also be instances in which liquids spill onto a warehouse floor, creating a slick surface that increases the risk of slips and trips.
2. Falls
Completing warehouse work at heights can be hazardous, and falls can happen at any time. If a warehouse worker does not wear a safety harness or other fall protection equipment, he or she could be seriously or fatally injured during a fall.
3. Falling Objects
Various items may be stacked high on shelves in a warehouse. If any of these items fall, they can strike anyone below.
4. Fires
Exposed wires in a warehouse can create a fire hazard. Moreover, chemicals or other hazardous materials may be stored incorrectly in a warehouse. If this happens and any of these materials leak, they can lead to a fire.
5. Overexertion
Warehouse workers give their all day after day. But, if a warehouse employee pushes too hard, he or she risks an overexertion injury. In severe instances, an overexertion injury can be permanent.
Warehouse personnel who know about these dangers and other warehouse hazards can take appropriate precautions. Plus, they can minimise the risk of warehouse accidents now and in the future.
Warehouse Safety Tips You Need to Know
It takes hard work and patience to maintain a safe and productive warehouse. Here are a few warehouse safety tips to help you get started.
1. Keep Your Warehouse Clean and Tidy
Remove debris and clutter from your warehouse. Ensure your warehouse’s floors are cleaned regularly. Also, if there is ever a warehouse spill, clean up the mess immediately. Ultimately, all warehouse personnel can work together to keep your workspace clean and tidy. Your workers can capitalise on the workspace, to the point where they can become more productive and efficient than ever before.
2. Provide Your Workers with Proper Safety Equipment
Supply hard hats, work gloves, and other safety equipment to your warehouse workers. Oftentimes, it helps to conduct a safety audit to verify what equipment best suits your warehouse personnel. Afterward, you can use the results to offer sufficient safety equipment to your employees. If you need additional safety equipment or similar gear at this point, you can supply it to your workers. Of course, you should validate the quality and integrity of safety equipment as well; if you identify any defective equipment, replace it right away.
3. Establish an Emergency Plan
Plan ahead for emergencies and ensure your warehouse workers know how to deal with them. As part of your efforts, create an emergency preparedness plan and share it with your employees. The plan should account for fires, chemical spills, and other potential warehouse emergencies. It can provide details about how workers should respond to such incidents. The plan should make it simple for workers to maintain constant contact with one another, their superiors, and other stakeholders until the incident is resolved.
4. Offer Forklift Safety Training to Your Workers
Provide opportunities for your warehouse workers to become aerial, scissor, or forklift-certified. OSHA-approved certification training programs are readily available to warehouse personnel. A forklift certification program, for example, enables warehouse workers of all skill and experience levels to become OSHA-compliant forklift operators. You can enroll your workers in an online program that may be completed in as little as one hour. The program emphasises proper operation and maintenance of forklift and other safety topics. Upon completion, a warehouse worker can earn an OSHA certification card that stays valid for up to three years.
5. Prioritise Ongoing Workplace Safety Improvements
Use questionnaires and surveys to monitor how your warehouse personnel feel about your on-the-job safety measures. You can collect valuable feedback from your warehouse workers to uncover ways to protect them against on-the-job accidents. It can be beneficial to establish workplace safety goals and milestones, too. For instance, you can reward your workers if they go many weeks without an on-the-job accident. Because, when every employee does their part to improve on-the-job safety, it can lead to unparalleled success for all members of your warehouse staff.
Prioritise warehouse and heavy machinery safety. Educate your workers about OSHA warehouse and forklift safety requirements and why they need to comply with them. From here, your warehouse personnel can do their part to prevent workplace accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Author Bio
Tom Wilkerson
With more than 80,000 verified clients across the United States, CEO Tom Wilkerson of ForkliftCertification.com helped revolutionise the concept of online safety training and OSHA compliance. Thanks to FLC and his other training & safety platforms – CertifyMe.net, AerialLiftCertification.com and CertifyMeOnline.net, Mr. Wilkerson ensures critical safety instruction is widely available and affordable for small, medium and large businesses everywhere.