Warehouses and warehousing systems can vary depending on size, industry, products, and staff. But one important item that all warehouses need to be aware of is the safety of the employees working in those warehouses. The warehouse industry statistically has higher rates of fatalities than other industries.
Whether it’s dealing with volatile products like flammable gases or chemicals, operating heavy machinery that’s made for moving around extremely heavy pallets, working from great heights, or even keeping the entire building secure, safety of the warehouse workers should be the primary goal of any industrial warehouse.
Safety measures need to be planned out and executed by the warehouse storage management and in this article, we reveal the steps needed to put a safety measures for an industrial warehousing system in place.
Appoint Safety Officers
Every warehouse needs to appoint warehouse safety officers. These employees are responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the warehouse. They must be trained to properly be able to identify potential hazardous risks and take steps to minimize the chances of an accident. They can either make regular inspections themselves or hire someone to do the inspections.
They’re also responsible for making sure that the rest of the staff is making safety their number one priority.
Perform Regular Warehouse Safety Awareness Training
Safety training is not a one-time occurrence that should only be taken by certain employees. All employees need to be trained on safety awareness regularly and by certified trainers. Even experienced employees who have been working in the warehousing industries for many years will need to keep their safety awareness training current.
It’s not something that should be taken lightly, and it could be the difference between having an accident-free industrial warehouse or an industrial warehouse that could be on the verge of a disaster.
Keep Hazardous Material Aside
Industrial warehouses may store hazardous materials that could be volatile and at risk for combustion, corrosion, or other dangerous effects. It’s key that any hazardous material be kept in a secure area that is well lit and properly labelled.
Designating an area of an industrial warehouse for hazardous materials is of the utmost importance. This area must be properly maintained with a controlled temperature and preventive measures to keep the employees safe in case of an accident. This includes having a fire extinguisher ready at all times near any hazardous materials. Remember to keep the extinguishers in good working order and to have them inspected by the proper authorities regularly.
Keep Equipment Well-Maintained
An industrial warehouse contains heavy equipment and machinery for loading and unloading. Forklifts are the most common pieces of equipment in an industrial warehouse. These need to be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure they’re in proper working order and not at risk of causing a serious accident.
Other equipment like racking and shelving, modular drawer units, and charging ports need to be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure the safety of the warehouse employees.
Implement LOTO Procedures (Lock Out, Tag Out)
Lock Out, Tag Out (LOTO) or lock and tag is used to make sure that industrial warehouse equipment is properly shut down and is unable to be restarted prior to having repair work or maintenance completed on them.
These preventive measures need be done to help prevent injury to a worker maintaining the machines. LOTO is a full program that needs to be implemented and regularly audited.
Provide Respiratory Protection
For employees working in an industrial warehouse, respiratory protection is key to making sure that they are safeguarded both from short-term problems and long-term problems. Having a full respiratory protection program that includes access to Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), like masks, is essential for protecting the lungs of your employees
Provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
PPEs aren’t just respiratory masks. They include a wide range of equipment that is needed to keep all industrial warehouse employees safe and secure. These include:
- Head protection including hard hats and helmets
- Ear protection, whether it be industrial-grade ear plugs or full ear coverings
- Eye protection, including safety glasses, goggles, face shields, or full welding masks
- Safety gloves that are graded for the specific work in the industrial warehouse
- Safety boots that have steel toe reinforcement
- Overalls or coveralls to protect any exposed skin from hazardous materials
Update Warehouse Security
Industrial warehouse safety isn’t just about keeping the employees safe while they’re working inside the warehouse. It also encompasses keeping intruders and any other outside elements out of the warehouse.
A proper security system that includes proper locks, cameras, motion sensors, and even on-site security is essential for preventing any potential tampering or other safety infraction from occurring.
Implementing and Maintaining an Industrial Warehouse Safety Plan with Canadian Rack Technologies Inc.
Implementing and maintaining an industrial warehouse safety plan isn’t a simple procedure and needs to be overseen by professionals who know the ever-changing safety protocols and procedures.
Canadian Rack Technologies Inc. can help your industrial warehouse create and maintain a safety plan. We have provided numerous Pre-Start Health and Safety Reviews for our customers and also for owners of storage equipment who have received a Ministry of Labour “Order to Comply.” Making sure your storage system complies with the Ontario Health & Safety Act is important. Our experienced staff members are happy to review your site.
We also buy and sell new and used pallet racking, industrial storage systems, and warehouse equipment, and provide a full package, which includes engineering, layout and design, supply, delivery, professional installation, as well as annual inspection programs for our clients.
For more information about our services, email us at info@rack.ca.
About: Kevin Ausman
Kevin Ausman is the founder of Canadian Rack Technologies. He has over 30 years of experience in providing safe and efficient turn-key storage solutions and he specializes in pallet racking, pick systems, industrial shelving, mezzanines, cantilever racks, and more. Kevin is dedicated to providing great customer service, listening to client’s needs, and supplying the best products available.