Strategies for Improving Warehouse Safety and Efficiency

It’s a cliché that to make money you have to spend money. It’s also usually true. The cliché that we’re not all made of money is also usually true. However, when it comes to increasing the efficiency and safety of a warehouse, some expenditures and planning can save and produce a lot of money. More importantly, investing in a safer workplace improves employee morale, safety, and job performance, which also impacts the bottom line.
                                              

Have Extra Personal Protective Equipment On Hand

Among the simplest, least expensive, and most effective ways to ensure a safer warehouse is by providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and the enforcing its use. Pickers, forklift drivers, and other warehouse staff generally have their own PPE, but they can forget it and PPE can wear out. So, along with the hardhat, PPE on-site should include:

· Eye protection

· A variety of heavy, light, and non-conductive gloves

· Padding for knees and elbows if necessary

· Fully-stocked first aid kits

· Face masks and respirators

· Hearing protection

· Safety vests and any other work-specific PPE 

Upgrade Equipment

Sometimes an efficiency increase can be as easy as upgrading the equipment used by the workforce. If your staff could benefit from more versatile transportation equipment, consider upgrading from a traditional hand truck to a convertible hand truck. Additionally, including U-boat dollies in the pickers’ repertoire can be a huge benefit and tick up efficiency considerably. Consider areas in which some simple equipment upgrades could save time and labor.

Upgrade to Powered Equipment

While it would require more of an investment, upgrading from manual equipment to powered equipment often pays for itself quickly. How much time and effort could be saved by switching from a traditional, or even convertible, hand truck to a powered hand truck? How much could be saved by investing in a pallet jack, or even a walk behind forklift?

Tape Down and Eliminate Trip and Fall Hazards

Slip, trip, and fall hazards are responsible for a high number of workplace injuries. They’re also often the easiest hazards to avoid. While most warehouses have dealt with cords on the warehouse floor by taping them down, what about the wires and cords for equipment in the attached office spaces? Those are no less risk of tripping employees but are often overlooked. Ladders are a leading hazard but many warehouses overlook proper ladder training. Proper use of ladders can save employees from injuries and their employers from the consequences of them. 

Hold Employee Trainings

While ladder training is both important and often overlooked, many other hazards can be reduced with proper training. Perhaps the least expensive and most important solution for warehouse safety is simply good employee training. Employees should be trained on lockout/tagout (LO/TO), and good LO/TO procedure should be strictly enforced. They should also be trained on proper weight distribution on shelves. And only fully trained and licensed (as needed) employees should operate certain vehicles and equipment.

About Magline

Magliner products have earned the trust of the material handling industry. They are valued to the point that “Magliner” is an industry-standard term employed throughout material handling. There is, however, only one Magliner when it comes to quality. For more than 70 years, Magline has designed and manufactured the most reliable, durable, and trustworthy material handling tools available. In addition to their traditional hand trucks, Magline produces more specialized equipment like their acclaimed motorized hand truck line, U-boats, and motorized hand trucks.

To learn more about Magliner hand trucks and other material handling products, visit Magliner.com