Keeping your workplace safe each day is the key to unlocking the full potential of your business. Without an emphasis on safety, you will always see reductions in safety.
Here are a few guidelines to consider if you are looking to implement or upgrade safety procedures in your warehouse.
#1. Have safety procedures in place for your equipment assets.
You must have safety procedures in place for all your warehouse equipment. From your forklifts to your dollies, any equipment asset must have policies in place that are required to follow. This should include proper personal protective equipment, such as gloves, safety glasses/goggles, and clothing protection.
Post notices at your emergency exits to prevent employees from blocking them while using warehouse equipment as well.
#2. Remove any potential safety hazards.
A warehouse floor must be free of any tripping or slipping hazards. Safety checks should be carried out daily by a designated safety employee. All workers should be trained how to properly respond when they see a cord, liquid spill, or other hazard on the warehouse floor.
You will also want to repair any cracks, pits, or other forms of floor damage which could cause a potential injury.
#3. Place safety notices throughout the warehouse.
Any area where a potential hazard exists should have a safety notice posted. These notices must contain clear language which emphasizes the exact nature of the danger present. You can also use caution tape or reflective paint to designate dangerous areas on the warehouse floor.
You may wish to consider posting signs that encourage workers to emphasize safety around the warehouse too. When people are thinking about safety, they are more likely to work in a safer manner.
#4. Emphasize safe lifting techniques.
There will always be that one person who says, “Watch me lift this!” then file a workplace injury claim. You can reduce the number of people who make this type of decision by teaching safe lifting techniques from the first moments of new employee orientation. Place reminders to practice these techniques throughout the warehouse.
In the breakroom, consider hanging a safety poster which takes workers through how to safely lift heavy items.
#5. Keep training your people.
Training is never over when you’re working in a warehouse. Make sure your staff are always up-to-date on their latest safety training requirements. Schedule refresher courses whenever necessary. Make sure you have your paperwork in order to ensure that if an unauthorized worker is using equipment they haven’t trained on that you can take actions to dismiss that worker.
Then make sure you are keeping a positive attitude about safety. That is because safety requires the complete focus of each team member. You must emphasize that risky choices are always unacceptable.
An emphasis on safety begins at the top of your organization. You must do more than develop safety best practices. You must also be observed by your team using them whenever you’re on the warehouse floor. In time, with these key points of emphasis, you will see that safety will become a priority at your warehouse.