Warehouses play a critical role in the supply chain. They serve as the hub for the storage, organization, and distribution of goods. However, the active environment of a warehouse can present various hazards and challenges that require careful attention to help ensure the safety of both employees and the products they handle. That’s why warehouse safety is paramount.
This article delves into warehouse safety protocols and best practices to help you create a secure working environment.
Understanding Warehouse Hazards
In July of this year, the Department of Labor announced a national emphasis program aimed at reducing and preventing workplace hazards in warehouses, distribution centers, and other related facilities.
Prior to establishing effective warehouse safety protocols, it’s essential to identify potential hazards. These can vary from one warehouse to another. It depends on the nature of the stored products and the specific operations carried out.
The following are some of the common hazards.
Forklift operations
Forklifts are indispensable tools in a warehouse. Like all heavy equipment, they pose significant risks. Collisions, overturning, and improper operation are among the leading causes of warehouse accidents.
Falling objects
Unsecured or improperly stacked items can fall and cause injuries to workers. This is prevalent in high-rack storage systems.
Slips, trips, and falls
Spills, debris, and uneven surfaces can lead to slips, trips, and falls. These, too, are some of the most common accidents in warehouses.
Fire hazards
Warehouses often store flammable materials. This makes them susceptible to fires. Electrical faults, inadequate fire suppression systems, and human error can lead to devastating fires.
Chemical exposure
Warehouses that store hazardous chemicals need to have proper handling and storage procedures in place to prevent chemical exposure.
Materials handling
Repetitive lifting and improper material handling techniques can lead to musculoskeletal injuries.
Warehouse Safety Protocols
After identifying the common hazards, the next step is to review safety protocols and best practices. These can help mitigate warehouse risks and ensure a safe and secure working environment in warehouses.
Comprehensive training
All employees should undergo training in warehouse safety. This should encompass forklift operation, material handling techniques, proper start-up and shutdown of equipment and tools, emergency procedures, and the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for each task.
Regular inspections
Conduct routine inspections of the warehouse to identify and address potential hazards. This includes checking for damaged equipment, fire hazards, and safety barriers. Often times a Job Hazard Analysis Checklist (JHA) is required. This is a safety audit that includes steps workers should take to accomplish goals, the hazards they could face, and the actions that can be taken to mitigate those risks.
Machinery and equipment safety
Implement strict machinery and equipment safety protocols. Warehouse safety should always have clearly marked pedestrian zones. Equipment and people should not cross paths.
Regular maintenance and inspections of machinery and equipment are a must-do. There should also be procedures for lockout and tagout. Provide employees with ergonomic material handling equipment, such as carts and lifting aids, to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
Fall protection
Warehouses often contain walkways, mezzanines, and other elevated platforms that create fall hazards. Warehouses can reduce the risk of falls by adding guardrails, safety nets, and other fall prevention measures. These need to be inspected regularly.
Storage procedures
Ensure that all products are stored securely and in accordance with best practices. This includes safely stacking items on racks and ensuring that they are within weight limits.
Fire safety and prevention
There should be fire extinguishers stationed in the proper locations throughout the warehouse. Employees need training on their locations and how to use them. Smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, and fire alarms must be regularly inspected and maintained. The warehouse needs established evacuation routes. The evacuation maps should be posted throughout the facility.
Emergency preparedness
Develop and communicate emergency protocols to employees. This includes evacuation plans, fire drills, and the location and proper use of fire extinguishers. Emergency preparedness will also be part of any security and safety training.
Environment safety
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is a growing practice as many stakeholders expect companies to adopt them as it’s a legal requirement and a moral responsibility. Environmental safety involves developing and implementing sustainable business practices. It also requires establishing protocols for proper waste disposal and recycling.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Require all employees to wear appropriate PPE, including helmets, steel-toed shoes, gloves, and high-visibility vests. Verify they’re wearing the right PPE for the task and provide warehouse safety PPE training.
Chemical safety
If a warehouse stores hazardous chemicals, it must follow strict safety guidelines for their storage, handling, and disposal. Ensure that employees are trained in chemical safety and that Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are readily available.
Safety signage
Put up clear and easily visible safety signage throughout the warehouse. This includes warning signs, directional signs, and labels for hazardous materials. If you have a lot of workers who speak a language other than the company’s primary language, it’s recommended to issue signage in multiple languages.
Electrical safety
It’s important to regularly inspect and maintain electrical systems to prevent electrical hazards. Electrical safety needs to be part of employee training to ensure they follow protocols to prevent overloading circuits and know how to identify and report electrical hazards.
Security measures
Warehouse security focuses on protecting assets as well as everyone’s safety. One key measure is to restrict unauthorized access to the facility. Warehouse safety and security needs multiple measures to prevent unauthorized access to the warehouse, reduce the risk of theft and sabotage, protect assets, and keep everyone safe.
Ensuring Warehouse Safety
It’s not enough to have safety protocols in place. The facility needs to foster a culture of safety among its employees. The companies with the most effective warehouse safety and security programs create a culture of safety, which includes consistent training. Two of the most effective warehouse safety measures are video surveillance with remote monitoring and an access control system.
These two come with multiple layers of safety and security. Here’s what they’re capable of doing.
Deter crime and theft
Video surveillance with remote monitoring can help deter criminals from targeting the warehouse in the first place. If they know that they are being watched, they may be less likely to try to break in or steal inventory.
Identify and respond to hazards quickly
Live video monitoring can help identify and respond to hazards quickly and efficiently. For example, if a fire starts or a forklift accident occurs, the monitoring team can alert the warehouse point of contact immediately so that they can take steps to help mitigate the damage and protect employees.
Improve safety training and compliance
Companies have used video footage from the security cameras to train employees on safety procedures. They also use remote video surveillance to monitor compliance with those procedures.
An example of this is when footage from the video cameras show employees who are not wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE) or who are operating equipment unsafely. The company can use the footage to show the employees. They can follow that with training on the proper protocols.
How Remote Video Surveillance Enhances Warehouse Safety
Here are a few examples of how live remote video surveillance can help improve warehouse safety and security.
Monitor high-traffic areas
Live remote video surveillance can monitor high-traffic areas in the warehouse. These can be the loading docks and forklift aisles. The value is it can help identify and prevent accidents, such as collisions between forklifts and pedestrians. This is why it’s essential to design a warehouse setting to keep foot traffic and heavy equipment separate.
Monitor hazardous materials storage areas.
Live video surveillance and remote monitoring can be used to observe hazardous materials storage areas to verify that materials are being stored and handled safely. If there’s a concern that workers aren’t following proper procedures for storing or handling flammable or toxic materials, submit a request, and a video analyst can check the video footage. They can identify the employees who mishandle materials and forward the footage.
Monitor remote areas of the warehouse
Remote video monitoring can be used to monitor remote areas of the warehouse that may not be easily visible to staff. This can help to deter theft and vandalism. It can help ensure that employees are working safely in these remote areas where there are few people.
Overall, video surveillance with remote monitoring can be a valuable tool for improving warehouse safety. By helping deter crime, identify and respond to hazards quickly, and improve safety training and compliance, live video monitoring can help keep employees safe and warehouses protected.
Additional Benefits of Security for Warehouse Safety
In addition to all the aforementioned benefits, video surveillance and access control systems offer real-time monitoring and response. Trained monitoring operators are watching the warehouse cameras in real time. If they see something suspicious, they can immediately call the point of contact at the warehouse so they can take action. Or if it requires police support, they can call the police to have them sent to the warehouse quickly.
Live video monitoring can come with remote access to the warehouse cameras. This allows executives and managers to check the warehouse facility at any time, from anywhere in the world. This is especially valuable for businesses with multiple locations.
It’s easy to scale the remote video surveillance up or down to fit the size and needs of the warehouse. A smaller warehouse may only need a few cameras while a larger one needs many. Warehouse facilities can get the exact coverage they need for the size of the facility.
This all sounds like an expensive undertaking, but it’s actually more affordable than most realize. Thanks to advances in technology, businesses of all sizes can now benefit from the safety and security of live video monitoring. Remote video surveillance services are more affordable than ever before. They’re typically more affordable than security guards and often get an ROI within months.
Warehouse safety is not only a legal requirement but also a moral obligation. Prioritizing warehouse safety helps protect as well as contribute to the efficient operation of the business. By understanding the hazards, implementing safety protocols, fostering a culture of safety, leveraging technology, and complying with regulations, the warehouse can be a safe place for everyone.
Most importantly, safety is an ongoing process. Continuous improvement is key to maintaining a secure working environment. Remote video surveillance can make sure this happens. Remote video surveillance does more than catch criminals. For a customized warehouse safety solution that maximizes your ROI, contact us.
Texas Private Security License Number: B14187
California Alarm Operator License Number: ACO7876
Florida Alarm System Contractor I License Number: EF20001598
Tennessee Alarm Contracting Company License Number: 2294
Virginia Private Security Services Business License Number: 11-19499
Alabama Electronic Security License # 002116
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