Safety in the Warehouse

Everyone knows how important it is to maintain safe working conditions in a busy warehouse. What’s not always clear is how best to accomplish that for a particular business. The techniques that work for one warehouse may be too restrictive or too broad for another, and different potential risks require different mitigation strategies.

Since warehouse operations are multifaceted, your strategy for promoting safety should be multifaceted as well. Here are some important things to keep in mind as you optimize your operational strategy for safety in the warehouse.

OSHA Requirements for Warehouse Safety

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets and enforces General Industry Standards that all warehouses must meet. These standards cover a variety of topics, including the proper use of tools and equipment as well as the type of safety equipment warehouses are required to provide employees.

For example, all warehouses are required by OSHA regulations to provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to employees, train them on how to properly use them, and ensure that all PPE on site is maintained in good condition. All facilities are also required to post safety signage in prominent places to alert employees of any actively dangerous warehouse hazards, potential risks, and actions that could cause minor injuries.

Meeting these minimum standards is required by law, and warehouse operators can face significant consequences for violating any OSHA regulations. However, these guidelines are far from comprehensive when it comes to maximizing workplace safety, so warehouse managers are encouraged to implement warehouse safety guidelines beyond what OSHA mandates.

Fostering a Safe Warehouse Working Environment

No matter what task a warehouse worker is completing, the sentiment of “better safe than sorry” always applies. One of the best ways warehouse managers can promote safety in the workplace is by emphasizing and demonstrating safe working habits like double-checking item weights, load balances, and intended travel paths before performing any action.

Keeping a clean workspace is also essential to minimizing workplace injuries and avoidable accidents. Spills should be cleaned up in a timely manner, tools should always be put back in a designated storage after use, trash should be disposed of promptly and properly, and cords should be secured and kept away from high-traffic areas.

Employees should be encouraged to not only prioritize their own safety, but to also look out for their fellow workers and to report any warehouse hazard or defect they see. Whatever it may cost in the short term to address a potential warehouse hazard is nothing compared to the expenses that a serious workplace accident could incur.

Experienced Labor Can Promote Workplace Safety

Safe warehouse practices can go a long way toward creating a safe working environment, but every warehouse is only as functional as the workers within it. You may be able to trust that your full-time employees know how things should be done, but how can you maintain warehouse safety guidelines effectively if you need to depend on temp labor? Fortunately, the answer to that question may be simpler than you think.

HapiGig utilizes easy-to-use technology to provide high-quality workers on demand to any warehouse in need. Every HapiWorker is a W2 employee with prior warehouse experience, so you can trust that you’re getting talented laborers who can work both efficiently and safely. Get in touch today to schedule a consultation and become a HapiEmployer.