Warehouses pose a number of risks to workers and machine operators, many of which haven’t crossed the minds of warehouse owners or their staff. Where adequate training is exceptionally effective at avoiding some of those dangers, raising awareness of potential issues which threaten the health and safety of warehouse workers is also extremely advantageous when it comes to keeping your staff protected from harm. As such, here are five factors that can affect health and safety in the warehouse:
Heavy equipment
Operating heavy machinery can become second nature to many warehouse workers, especially with the right, professional training. But with over-confidence in driving machinery comes complacency and in turn, mistakes could be made which could threaten the safety of, not only the operators, but people working on the warehouse floor.
Where this level of comfortability whilst operating material handling equipment can have a positive effect on warehouse operations as a whole, often resulting in improved productivity and efficiency, it can pose some risks if your workers aren’t fully aware of what could go wrong when behind the wheel.
Adequate, regular training and raised awareness of the dangers that could present themselves whilst operating certain machinery will help to prevent accidents in the workplace, therefore keeping your staff safe and protected from harm at all times, regardless of the equipment being used at the time.
Robust materials
Heavy, robust materials have the potential to fall down or roll off of warehouse racking, pallets, forklifts and other pieces of machinery and equipment. Should they come into contact with a person on the ground, it could cause serious injury. To help prevent this, ensure that all stock has been stacked responsibly by making sure that your workers are trained in the moving, handling and storing of goods.
Potentially harmful substances
Depending on the goods you’re storing, handling, transporting or distributing, your workers could be dealing with potentially harmful substances on a daily basis. Whether or not your staff come into contact with hazardous materials also depends on the age of your warehouse and whether any parts of it, structurally, are exposed. Asbestos could be present in some cases, so it’s important that you have your premises inspected so as to rule this out.
However, if the products you handle involve coming into contact with harmful substances, then you should make sure your workers are adequately trained to deal with this particular type of stock in a safe and controlled manner. This will help to prevent accidents as well as long term damage or injury.
Moving parts
As machinery starts to age and deteriorate, you may see an increase in moving parts that might not have necessarily moved before. It’s also possible that parts and components will simply start to fall out, break or rust over time. If this happens, it could cause your warehouse machinery to fail and break down, putting the operator, and those around the machine, at risk.
Make sure that your machines are regularly maintained and serviced, as these activities will highlight whether or not parts and components need to be repaired or replaced altogether. You might even find it more cost-effective to buy a newly refurbished forklift of exceptional quality, instead of paying extortionate amounts of money to keep an old machine going. By investing in a reconditioned model from Refurbished Forklifts, you’ll have absolute peace of mind that your workers will be safe behind the wheel at all times.
Falling objects
Items that have been stacked high can become unstable, therefore causing products to topple and fall down onto your workers. Keep loads neatly stacked and packed away to prevent objects from sliding off. Not only will this help to protect your staff on the ground, but it’ll also make sure that all of your items are free from damage and breakages, therefore cutting the costs incurred when replacing items.
If you’re looking for high-quality, robust material handling equipment for an affordable price, get in touch with a member of our friendly, knowledgeable team here at Refurbished Forklifts. We’re always on hand to provide professional advice and guidance whenever you need it.
