Safety is of major concern when a business is running a warehouse. Whether the warehouse is automated or non-automated, the danger of injury or fatality is tremendously high. Places such as Los Angeles 3PL, Los Angeles Contract Warehouse and Los Angeles Fulfillment take these concerns seriously and do everything in their power to avoid any accidents. This will explain some ordinary warehouse hazards that are easily unseen and the safety precautions and procedures that are important to follow. The result will be more attention to equipment and tasks that might cause accidents, more effort to follow safety rules, and eventually less accidents in the workplace.
A major contributor to warehouse accidents is the forklift. OSHA statistics for 2004 show that about 100 employees are killed and 95,000 are injured every year while operating forklifts in all industries. Warehouse accidents are a very large percentage of these numbers. Forklift turnovers account for a majority of the fatalities. A few sensible solutions that can be adapted are to be sure to train, evaluate and certify all of the operators so that they can drive the forklifts without incident. All drivers of forklifts must be 18 years old. Prior to being used, the forklift should be examined for any hazardous conditions that might make it unsafe to operate. All employees must follow the safety procedures that came with the machine at the time of purchase. Always drive it slowly, never exceeding 5 miles an hour. Slow down even further in congested areas, slippery surfaces or blind corners.
While it might sound silly, improper stacking of products cause a far amount of injuries and death. The correct stacking of inventory is extremely important. If the materials are improperly stacked, they may tumble and wound a worker. A few easy solutions are to stack the loads straight and easily. Place heavier loads should be placed on lower shelves. It is advised that a single item be taken from the shelves at a time. Be sure to have the aisles and loading docks clean and in good repair at all times. Accidents can happen when spills and debris is not cleaned up immediately.
Poor ergonomics can lead to serious injuries and while death is not often the outcome, it can result in many workmen’s comp filings. Improper lifting, repetitive motion or poor design of operations can lead to aches and pains in workers. If possible, use motorized equipment instead of manually lifting heavy objects. Objects obtained by employees should be placed on shelves easiest to reach. Repetitive motion injuries should be taken into account. Ensure that overhead lighting is sufficient for the task at hand. Again, keeping floors clean of spills and debris will help the cause.
Much of this is advice is common sense. When these ideas are implemented, workers may be saved from injury or death. At the very least it will help keep aching muscles from getting in the way of hard work. If you have any questions or would like further advice on more serious safety issues, OSHA is on hand to help your company. OSHA’s main objective is setting and enforcing standards, providing training, outreach and education, establishing partnerships, and encouraging continual ongoing improvements in warehouse safety and health.
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