Warehouse Operations Safety – avoiding accidents

Many businesses have storage and warehouse facilities as an integral and important part of their operation. These may be very busy places at all times (such as in a logistics operation) or they may be quiet for many hours a day, but have periods of intense activity. Warehouses are dangerous places and people do get hurt in them in several ways. Many of the injuries suffered can be avoided by taking some simple steps; all derived from simple risk assessments.

What can be done to avoid accidents associated with warehouse operations?

Slips, trips and falls

• Ensuring good standards of housekeeping – keep walkways clean. Clear and unobstructed

• Ensure that spillages are cleaned up immediately that they occur or when they are noticed
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Manual Handling

• Arrange work such that the needs for manual handling are reduced (such as by the use of fork lift trucks, (powered)-pallet trucks, dock lifts, etc)
• Ensure that the risks associated with all manual handling operations are assessed and minimised, giving consideration to:
  • the task
  • the load
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Work at Height

• Avoid the need to work at height were possible
• Avoid climbing on the top of loads where possible
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Vehicles

• Manage the vehicles accessing the site – where possible, provide delivery drivers with relevant health and safety information about your site (times for deliveries, one-way system information, etc) before they arrive
• Display suitable warning signs and notices
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Falling Objects

• Ensure that all loads stored at height (such as on racking) are secure
• Avoid working under other people
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Mechanical Accidents

• Ensure that all plant and equipment provided for use in the warehouse (such as shrink wrapping equipment, conveyor systems, etc) is suitable for the task and is in good condition
• Arrange for all equipment to be checked and inspected regularly by a competent person to ensure that it remains in good condition, to ensure that all guards are in place and that all emergency stops and other safety features and controls work
• Restrict the use of plant and equipment to authorised persons only

Exposure to chemicals

• Ensure that all chemical packaging is in good condition
• Ensure that appropriate PPE is provided
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