Awareness about the warehouse safety hazards leads to proper measures to minimise them. It’s the first step in operations improvement (What gets measured gets managed).
That’s why here in this short article we’ll enumerate the hazards and suggest practical ways on how to minimise or eliminate them. Let’s start.
Warehouse hazards list
- Weakness in storage and racking systems (they might collapse, tilt or vibrate)
- Accidental movement of forklifts (improper parking)
- Collision between forklifts (especially in blind corners and intersections)
- Collision between personnel and forklifts
- Unauthorised driving (improper equipment operation and lack of accountability)
- Slippery surfaces and trip hazards (personnel might slip or forklift driving would be dangerous)
Those are just some of the common warehouse hazards. Most of the instances related to those hazards can be prevented with adequate personnel training, active monitoring and routine assessment.
How to minimise or eliminate warehouse safety hazards?
It’s the integration of quality tools, equipment and management. The storage systems should be sturdy and used according to their intended purpose (overloading or loading of other materials might make the rack collapse). The forklifts should also be selected according to their designation (some might be assigned for chemical handling).
In addition, forklifts should be properly operated and maintained. This is best accomplished by having active monitoring systems in place. For example, the ImpactManager provides access control which prevents unauthorised driving. It also has a utilisation monitoring feature that can aid in minimising downtime.
Alert systems are also crucial for preventing workplace accidents such as forklift vs forklift and forklift vs person collisions. There are now systems and devices specifically designed to alert drivers and pedestrians especially in blind spots and narrow aisles.
Warehouse safety hazards and how to prevent them
Here at ShockWatch we specialise in damage prevention of material handling equipment. We’ve developed accident prevention solutions that benefit both the company (both small businesses and multi-national corporations) and its workers.
Contact us today if you want to improve warehouse safety and we’ll provide solutions to prevent forklift collisions.
