5 ways to improve warehouse safety

Nothing is more important at work than a safe environment. This is of course true everywhere, but it’s absolutely essential in a warehouse, where employees use heavy equipment and handle valuable merchandise – a combination that demands special attention. What are the main things to keep in mind? We’ve collected five tips.

Clearly, safety is the responsibility of everyone in a company. It cannot be left to managers or to the health, safety and environment (HSE) officer. All employees must contribute to safety at the workplace.

Beyond the individual level, however, there are several areas that are important for a company as a whole:

1. Corporate culture

Safety begins with attitudes, which means that the company must set a good example. This includes making safety a key part of the company culture at all levels, whether technical or social. Safety should be a top priority for everyone – not just on the shop floor, but in offices, the boardroom and the training center.

2. Ergonomics

We all want our workplace to be as pleasant as possible. After all, this is where we spend a good part of each day. Employees who feel comfortable in their surroundings and are familiar with their equipment are more relaxed and can concentrate better. They are more efficient, and they are also safer. These considerations are at the focus of ergonomics. An ergonomically designed workplace considerably reduces stress on the human body. For example, it protects forklift operators from ruining their backs through prolonged sitting. This in turn enables them to concentrate on what’s important: handling the vehicle correctly and adhering to general safety rules in the warehouse.

3. Assistance systems

With industrial trucks, assistance systems are critically important. They give automatic warnings of hazardous situations and take action in emergencies to prevent accidents. A classic example is the Linde Safety Guard built by Linde Material Handling. Another is Linde Motion Detection, one of Linde’s most recent innovations. It prevents a forklift from changing its position if something moves behind it. There are many other such solutions on the market, such as rack protection and controlled braking.

4. Warehouse configuration and design

Although one of the first concerns in warehouse design is process efficiency, safety must not be neglected. Legal requirements come at the top of the list. These include general obligations such as proper lighting, sufficient space, well-marked forklift routes and protected walkways. Other important considerations are floor levelness and fire safety. Warehouse improvement is a never-ending process because new safety risks can arise at any time.

5. Regular training

A workforce that is trained to be aware of safety will have a lower risk of accidents. Training in the use of vehicles is an essential part of this. It should take the form of regular instruction and refresher courses, say once a month or every three months, but ideally even more often. Many companies that are models when it comes to safety start all of their meetings (for example, briefings at the start of a shift) with safety instructions. This keeps everyone focused on one thing: Safety first!