Best practices for warehouse safety and compliance include following regulatory guidelines for a secure workplace. Optimizing operational processes and minimizing risks creates a safer, more productive work environment.
Adherence to industry best practices elevates warehouse safety and compliance. These suggestions can help.
Implement these best practices for warehouse safety and compliance.
Provide Fire Safety Training
Ensure the necessary fire alarms, extinguishers, sprinklers, and other safety regulations are in place and functioning. Also, schedule regular training to ensure employees understand the fire safety processes and know how to properly use the equipment. Additionally, the fire safety equipment must be regularly inspected to ensure it works.
Reinforce Proper Lifting Techniques
Train your warehouse employees on proper lifting procedures and operation of lifting tables. Protecting employees’ backs and knees minimizes injuries.
Enforce Safe Handling of Sharp Objects
Train your employees to wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) when working with metal and other sharp objects. Also, teach the proper use of safety knives and cutting techniques to minimize injuries.
Engage in Toolbox Talks
Regular toolbox talks strengthen frontline collaboration for a stronger warehouse safety culture. The topics might include:
- Identifying and complying with PPE-related safety signage
- Safety equipment for proper handling and storage of hazardous materials
- Distinguishing between forklift pre-operation and operational safety checks
- Health and safety regulations for working at heights
- Emergency procedures for fires caused by faulty electrical distribution
Schedule Regular Safety Training
Continuously identify and remove warehouse hazards to elevate safety. Also, customize your safety training to your culture, current warehouse condition, and needs:
- Post warehouse standard operating procedures (SOPs) for relevant job tasks, specialized pieces of machinery, and new equipment.
- Schedule and document preventative maintenance for warehouse tools and equipment.
- Conduct pre-use forklift inspections, 5S audits, and racking inspections.
- Educate your employees on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and requirements such as the appropriate use of PPE, mandatory safety signage, and emergency action plans.
- Train on warehouse hazard identification, hazardous material handling and storage, and forklift safety.
- Use a warehouse safety checklist to regularly check that employees are following safety protocols.
- Document safety meeting minutes, corrective actions to safety issues, training topics, incident reporting, and investigative reports.
- Implement a warehouse safety committee with employees from different departments as frontline warehouse safety ambassadors.
Hire Safety-Minded Warehouse Employees
Let Impact Staffing get to work providing well-trained, safety-conscious employees to enhance your workplace safety. Contact us to get started today.
