5 Common Warehouse Accidents That Our Solutions Can Prevent
Unfortunately, workplace accidents can happen at any time. If your business involves a warehouse then, without the proper planning and risk assessment, the number of accidents can be high. If you’re looking to minimise the potential for incidents on site it’s important to be aware of the most common problems that arise – and the solutions that are available to help prevent accidents like this from happening.
1. Falling items
Floor space is a serious issue in many warehouses and this means that stacking is going vertical. Unfortunately, unless you have dedicated storage solutions in place, this can often mean wobbly shelves that are disorganised and difficult to access. The result may be that items fall and cause damage, whether that is to the warehouse or to the individuals who are working there. Professionally designed storage, such as our static shelves, can help to prevent problems like this occurring and help to keep everyone safe.
2. Fire
Warehouse fires can be devastating and so should be prevented at all costs. Something as simple as a frayed cable can spark a fire and if the warehouse is not well organised and there are flammable materials all around this can escalate quickly. Fire training is essential, as are procedures for reporting and dealing with fire when it breaks out. Organising the space with the right storage so that flammable materials don’t pile up will be essential. You may also want to consider measures such as fire protection safes for the most valuable data and files.
3. Slips and falls
Organising your warehouse space is the simplest way to avoid the range of accidents that can arise as a result of slips and falls. Piled up stock or boxes can create a trip hazard, for example, or badly stored items may mean that dangerous leaks occur and go unnoticed until someone is injured. It’s essential to ensure that everything has its place in the warehouse and that storage design is customised to the space available. Some of the options for optimising warehouse space include mobile shelving and static shelving. You can ensure that employee possessions don’t create a trip hazard by installing lockers.
4. Handling accidents and injuries
Up to 50% of the claims filed by warehouse workers relate to back pain and, all too often, this is the result of poor manual handling from badly designed shelves or storage units. If you want to reduce these incidents and create a better experience for employees there are lots of solutions. Automated storage and retrieval systems, for example, can help to avoid issues such as picking from the wrong height and ensure that heavier items are safely transported.
5. Problems with forklifts
Because a forklift is such a heavy machine it can do a lot of damage if it drives in to something - or someone. There is also a lot of potential for damage when items are being removed from shelves or transported from A to B. Risk assessing forklift use and providing proper training for drivers is essential. There are also many other warehouse retrieval options available, including lifts and vertical carousel.
These are just some of the ways in which you can reduce the potential for accidents in your warehouse with the Randex range of solutions.