Useful Tips for Running a Safe and Clean Warehouse

Image via Pexels

When it comes to managing a warehouse, safety is an area that can never be overlooked. Ensuring workers’ safety is paramount to ensure that business operations run as expected and to avoid fines or penalties from local and state governments. In this article by United Floor Coatings, we’ll explore the best ways to design a safe warehouse, how to overcome common safety issues, and explore some key legal consequences that can arise in the event of a mishap and how to manage them.

Ensure Safe Floors

Maintaining a safe working environment is paramount, and one effective way to enhance safety is through the application of industrial epoxy coatings on your warehouse floors. Products from United Floor Coatings offer a durable, slip-resistant surface, significantly reducing the risk of accidents and injuries in a busy warehouse setting. These coatings not only provide a high-traction surface but are also resistant to heavy wear and tear, chemicals, and spills, ensuring longevity and ease of maintenance. 

The application of these coatings can also improve visibility and delineate specific areas, contributing to more organized and efficient operations. By investing in industrial epoxy coatings from United Floor Coatings, you're not just upgrading the floor's appearance; you're taking a proactive step towards ensuring the safety and well-being of your employees and the efficiency of your warehouse operations.

Prioritize Employee Safety Training

Proper training on safety protocols and emergency procedures is the foundation of a secure warehouse. Hence, it is important to organize onboarding training for all new employees before they are cleared to work on the warehouse floor.

Additionally, re-trainings should be organized periodically to ensure that all employees remember key safety procedures. This can also be done in the form of mock drills, to check real-time preparedness in times of emergency.

Protect Your Boundaries

A clear understanding of your property's boundaries is crucial for ensuring both worker and product safety. Knowing the exact limits of your warehouse property helps in effectively designing and implementing safety protocols, especially in areas where the risk of accidents or product damage is higher. This is where having a professional survey conducted becomes vital. 

A precise survey delineates your property boundaries, allowing you to plan and organize the warehouse space efficiently. It helps in identifying safe zones for storage, pathways for transportation, and areas that require additional safety measures. By clearly establishing these boundaries, you can prevent encroachment into unsafe or unsuitable areas, thereby reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring the security of your inventory. In essence, a professional survey is not just about marking territory; it’s an essential tool in creating a safer, more organized, and efficient warehouse environment.

Optimize Warehouse Layout 

An optimized warehouse layout is crucial for the safety of employees and for the efficiency of the business. Here are some of the best ways to go about it:

• 
  Install adequate lighting throughout the facility to enhance visibility and reduce the chances of accidents due to poor illumination.
• 
  Avoid any wiring going across high-footfall areas. Wires should be bundled together and made to run near walls or ceilings. Additionally, only let licensed professionals move or change wire positions across the warehouse.
• 
  Organize storage areas vertically, if space in the warehouse is limited. Stacking goods will require heavy machinery, hence ensure to clean the area and install visible no-entry signs when stacking is in process.

Invest in High-Quality Protective Equipment

For warehouses that deal with storing and transporting goods made with chemicals, or other toxic materials, investing in high-quality protective equipment is non-negotiable. Depending on the nature of the tasks performed, provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hard hats, gloves, safety goggles, ear protection, and steel-toed boots. 

For areas that need to be protected against cross-contamination, showers, and protective doors might also need to be installed. Failure to do so will lead to fines and other penalties and in some cases suspension of your license, as well. 

Additionally, regularly inspect PPE for signs of wear and tear, as reported by Hard Hat Training and promptly replace any damaged equipment. 

Create Safety Procedure Posters

Reinforcing safety procedures and practices among your staff is vital, and one effective way to do this is through visually engaging reminder posters. Utilizing a free online design tool, you can easily create these important reminders. With access to a wide array of templates, design elements, and fonts, these tools allow you to customize your safety posters to suit your specific needs and warehouse environment. Whether it’s reminders about wearing safety gear, proper lifting techniques, or emergency exit routes, you can design posters that are both informative and attention-grabbing. 

Look for options that offer a free flyer or poster design feature, enabling you to produce high-quality, professional-looking safety reminders without incurring extra costs. By strategically placing these custom-designed posters throughout your warehouse, you can continually reinforce a culture of safety and ensure that best practices are always top of mind for your team.

Mitigate Risks for Slips and Falls

As reported by HSM, over 26% of warehouse workers are impacted by trips and falls. In other words, around a quarter of your staff is at risk of falling or slipping while working in the warehouse. While there is no way to reduce this number to zero, your aim should be to minimize it as much as possible, in the following ways:

• 
  Schedule cleaning of the warehouse floor after hours. This ensures that the floor is dry and free of soap or other slippery cleaning substances during work hours.
• Use natural, non-toxic cleaning products to protect employee health.
• Conduct daily security checks of the warehouse to ensure employees are following safety protocols such as wearing hard hats, boots, gloves, etc.
• Use clear signage to mark wet or slippery floors when clean-up is needed during work hours. 
• Employees that need to work in areas where slippery floors cannot be avoided should be provided with anti-slip footwear.
• Loose cables and uneven surfaces should be promptly addressed.

When it comes to warehouse safety, prioritizing employee safety training and providing high-quality protective equipment is key. Additionally, focus on optimizing the layout for efficiency and safety, while also mitigating slip and fall risks with regular inspections and clear signage.