5 Warehouse Safety Tips You Need to Implement

business warehouse safety tips

Warehouses are a dangerous place for the American worker. Every day, hundreds of workers are injured in a warehouse setting.

In just 23 Amazon fulfillment centers, there are nearly 10 serious injuries per 100 full-time workers per year.  At one warehouse, in particular, there were over 400 separate injuries in a single year.

Some of these injuries occur instantaneously, while others develop over time. A common example is the debilitating back injuries that plague warehouse workers.

Read on to learn how to improve your company’s warehouse safety. Explore 5 warehouse safety tips that are certain to protect your workers from injury.


1. Get Educated

You cannot improve workplace safety if you are not educated on federal and state regulations. Both managers and employees alike should seek out training opportunities for workplace safety.

In addition to legal requirements, you should also be cognizant of the safety procedures for equipment. All employees that operate new equipment should be well-versed in the manufacturer’s safety instructions. To make this the safest year possible, let your employees know that safety training is an organizational priority.

An educated workforce is also more likely to report safety deficiencies. For instance, they may notify that a loading dock door repair is necessary to prevent an injury.


2. Ergonomics

Far too many companies fall short on ergonomic standards. Ergonomics is the practice of making a job suitable for an employee’s physical needs and limitations. Not all employees are made equal from a physical perspective.

Perform an evaluation of each workspace and see what resources are required to improve ergonomics. Take an employee that frequently lifts heavy objects as an example.

Considering the strain on his or her back, it would not be wise to place more pressure on their back. Instead of a traditional desk, your company should invest in a standing desk to alleviate backpressure.


3. Automation

Automation and machine learning are replacing many tasks traditionally performed by humans. While there is a negative stigma around automation for employment reasons, it can improve warehouse safety.

Consider investing in automated resources to replace the most dangerous tasks in the warehouse. Automation reduces risk and can improve efficiency at the same time.


4. Prevent Falls

According to the U.S. government, falls are the leading cause of death in the private industry. Your company can reduce risk by implementing a fall safety program.

A fall safety program includes many different facets. It starts with using the right ladder and training employees on how to use them properly. Another important factor is closely following railing standards.


5. Visualizing Safety

Safety warnings should be easy to spot and read. One effective method for visualizing safety is using bright colors for warning labels.

Moving forward into the new year, make sure your company possesses the ability to make safety labels in-house. In some cases, customization is required which makes this capability even more important. With a label-making capability, you can change the labels to accommodate workers who speak a foreign language.


A Recap of 5 Warehouse Safety Tips

The last thing you want is a serious injury to take place on your watch in your warehouses. By training your warehousing employees and investing in the right equipment, you can improve warehouse safety.

If you enjoyed this article about warehouse safety tips, check out our Frugal Finance blog for more great content. We have a wide variety of business articles about warehouses, inventory management, workplace safety, manufacturing, automation, and storage.

New Frugal Finance Blog Posts & Articles