Warehouse Safety
Using proper Warehouse safety precautions is important to reduce the risk of workplace injuries that occur each year. The number of yearly warehouse injuries is more than the combined injuries in all other workplaces.The best way to teach warehouse safety Is to have all the warehouse workers attend a mandatory safety meeting. During this meeting you should cover all of the correct ways to operate the machines in the warehouse. Also basic safety such as first aid and fire emergencies should be covered. The best way to make sure everyone remembers the safety rules is to give them a safety test a few days after the meeting. This way you will be able to tell who was listening and learning and who needs to be trained again.
Warehouse Safety Tips
There are several areas of warehouse safety that should be discussed with all warehouse employees. Below is a list of main warehouse safety topics that can be used to help all warehouse workers learn about safety in the workplace.
- Dock Safety. The docking area in a warehouse is probably the busiest area in the entire warehouse workplace. It is where all products are delivered to or sent out from. Make sure the docking area floors are clean at all times. Only employees certified to use a forklift should operate them on the dock. Failure to properly use the forklift could result in injury if the driver cannot stop at the edge of the dock and falls off.
- Forklift Safety. Forklift safety is one of the most important warehouse safety procedures. Forklift are used everyday in warehouses all over. It is important that only forklift certified employees operate them. They can be deadly if used incorrectly by an untrained worker. Always check the aisles in the warehouse for clutter on the floors to prevent anyone from running it over and possible losing control of the forklift. All employees must be at least 18 years old in order to become forklift certified.
- lifting. When you are doing any manual lifting it is important to follow basic lifting safety. Training employees in how to lift without injury is one of the most important warehouse safety training topics. Back injuries count for more than 50 percent of lost time and sick days in a warehouse.
- All new employees must be required to take warehouse safety training classes before they can actually begin work in the warehouse. This is required to make sure all new workers are aware of the rules and safety regulations that are to follow while they are working. You should tell all employees new or old that horseplay and fooling around will not be tolerated.
- Hard Hat safety. All Warehouse workers are at risk of falling objects. They should be required to wear hard hats at all times while actually working in the warehouse were products are stored on several levels of rack and shelves. Hard hat safety training should be taught to all employees whether they work in the office or the warehouse just encase of an emergency.
- First Aid And Fire Safety. All warehouse workers should know where the first aid kits are located and have a basic knowledge of how to use the contents. They should also know where all fire extinguishers are and must be trained in fire safety. You should have an evacuation plan in place. If a real fire emergency should occur there should be a designated meeting area that is a good distance from the warehouse.
These are just a few great starter ideas for teaching warehouse safety. A warehouse can be full of unseen dangers. It is your responsibility to make sure all warehouse employees are safety certified and trained to handle any emergency that might occur while they are working.