A warehouse can be a hazardous place to work when procedures aren’t followed correctly. It’s your employer’s role to keep you safe, but as an employee, it’s also your role to keep yourself and your colleagues safe by following protocol and using a bit of common sense. Here are some helpful safety tips for warehouse employees.
Workplace accidents
According to the Irish Health and Safety Authority, there were over 47 work-related fatal accidents in Ireland alone in 2017. Major causes of workplace accidents include slips, trips, falls and manual handling. All of these can occur in warehouses, especially when employers and employees alike don’t follow proper procedures.
Training and PPE
If your employer offers you health and safety training, which can range from a short manual handling awareness course to a lengthy in-depth risk assessment course, it’s paramount that you do the training. Personal protection equipment such as hard hats, boots and gloves must be worn if provided. If your employer hasn’t provided you with these items, then ask for them.
Good planning
Help your employer when it comes to the planning and layout of the warehouse. Good planning reduces risk by ensuring, for instance, that staff are not walking in front of forklift trucks.
Other hazards
Help employers by eliminating other hazards such as wet, dirty or messy floors. Make use of cones and signs to cordon off certain areas.
Perfect stacking
Items falling from shelving can be a major cause of injuries. Ensure you always stack goods evenly, never overstacking, putting heavier items lower and avoiding hitting light fittings and so on.
Faulty equipment
Does your shelving need updating? Old shelving can be a potential hazard and as an employee you need to alert the powers-that-be if your current shelving has any cracks or faults. Your employer should set out a rota for checking ALL equipment in the warehouse, but if you spot a fault first, always alert a manager. When you need a new delivery of industrial shelving Ireland or Northern Ireland firms such as https://www.rackzone.ie/shelving/industrial-residential-shelving will be able to supply to excellent safety standards.
It is your employer’s responsibility to keep you safe, but as an individual, and a colleague, you have a moral and personal responsibility to stay safe too.