Warehouses tend to be busy places with people moving goods around all day long, so from time to time accidents can happen.

These accidents can range from minor trips and falls to more serious, life-threatening incidents, and as well as putting employees in harm’s way, if your warehouse is deemed unsafe then you’ll run the risk of closure and even prosecution.

So with the stakes so high, if you’re the owner of a warehouse then you’ll need to do all you can to minimise the risk of your workers getting hurt.

In this blog post, we’ll offer some tips for making your warehouse a safer, less hazardous place. Hopefully, this will help reduce accidents, safeguarding your staff and ensuring you comply with health and safety regulations.

Reorganise The Warehouse

Properly organising your warehouse setup not only makes things run smoother but also keeps both your goods and your team safer. 

A good racking system is arguably the most pivotal part of an organised warehouse as it helps ensure everything is neat and tidy and stored where it should be.

Some warehouses like to arrange items and stock based on how often they're used or by categories like colour or brand. So settle on a system and then stick to it.

Add lines on the floor to guide everyone on where to go like traffic lanes. This will ensure  forklifts don't bump into each other, and your team can move around without any unnecessary collisions. 

When it comes to heavier stuff, keep these items nearer to the front of the warehouse. This simple change reduces the time it takes to handle each item, cutting down on the chances of heavy goods falling off forklifts.

Racking Protectors

Racking protectors are metal or heavy-duty plastic structures that fit on the ends, legs or sides of storage racks. Their purpose is to protect storage structures from potential damage caused by collisions with equipment or misplaced items. They also help to absorb some of the impact to reduce the risk of racking from collapsing.

With forklifts buzzing up and down your warehouse’s aisles, there’s always a risk of collision. A forklift mishap could potentially bring down entire shelving or racking systems, putting both your staff and stock at serious risk.

So it makes sense to invest in protective equipment like column and rack protectors, aisle shields, wire decking for racks and support bars. Although this will cost you upfront, this should be viewed as an expense that'll surely pay off in the long run. 

Column Stacking

Column stacking is an efficient, space-saving way to stack products on pallets. It's a straightforward method where all boxes are neatly stacked on top of each other, ensuring maximum safety and security for your stock.

The beauty of this method of stacking lies in its simplicity. By reducing the space between the packages being stacked, the chances of them slipping or crushing each other during transit are practically eliminated. 

Column stacking also contributes to a more efficient organisation of your pallets, meaning more space to move around and no overhanging packages that could pose a trip hazard.

Tidy Up Packaging Materials

Packaging materials are one of the most common causes of trips and falls in warehouses. Whether it’s plastic wrapping, sticky tape or packaging filler being left on the floor, these all pose a risk to anyone walking by.

As the owner of a warehouse, it’s the job of you and your management to ensure staff are sufficiently trained in disposing of packaging properly. Failure to do so will significantly increase the chance of your staff falling and getting hurt.

Ensure there are ample bins for staff to dispose of packaging – they’ll be much more likely to bin items if they don’t have to walk to the other side of the warehouse!

If any of your employees are found to be leaving packaging on the ground, explain to them why this is a safety hazard and request for them to avoid repeating this behaviour in the future.

So those are our top tips for making your warehouse space safer and minimising safety hazards. Follow our guidance and you should see fewer accidents and injuries in your workplace.