Whether it’s a manufacturing company or a distribution center, safety in the warehouse is an issue that is always at the forefront. According to OSHA, warehouses are some of the most dangerous places workers can be during their shift. Accidents such as items falling from shelves, pallets turning over on workers or equipment such as forklifts running into people or tipping over with their loads can all result in sometimes life-changing situations. However, by making sure all safety rules are followed and warehouses have the best possible shelving units to meet their needs, many accidents can be prevented.
Industrial Mezzanines
Some of today’s most innovative industrial shelving are mezzanines, which allow warehouses to more than double their usable work space by creating a two-level platform system. A great alternative to building a new facility, mezzanines cost only about 25 percent of what a standard new warehouse would cost to build, making them a very smart investment. Using multi-span engineering, these structures have been found to be very good at minimizing impact loads and accidental overloads by being able to shift the excess load to nearby beams and platforms.
Pallet Racks
By properly installing and maintaining pallet racks, many warehouses have been able to greatly reduce accidents involving pallets. Careful consideration must be given to selecting the pallet racks that meet the product size and weight requirements for what will be stored on the pallets. In some instances, warehouse personnel choose racks that are close to these requirements, but may fall slightly short of what’s recommended. Unfortunately, the result is often an accident that did not have to happen. While pallet racks may be very durable, they do require regular maintenance to ensure safety standards are maintained. This is done by inspecting and tightening bolts, inspecting for any damage and even installing bollards and guardrails to prevent forklifts from hitting them.
The Importance of Ergonomics
More and more companies are starting to embrace the concept of ergonomics, helping their employees maintain better health by installing worker-friendly lift tables and shelving, along with providing back braces and modifying work procedures to reduce the risk of injury while improving efficiency. In many instances, the majority of material handling injuries result from jobs that require repetitive lifting or having to improperly lift objects. To help minimize this from happening, companies are installing QuikPik Shelving Systems to assist workers. Since these systems use multi-level gravity flow to make products easy to find and pick off the shelves, workers are able to adjust the shelves up and down vertically. This allows for more cubic storage space being available, and also makes it more convenient for workers to pick packages without putting themselves in awkward lifting situations with this function-designed warehouse shelving.
By being aware of what’s around them inside a warehouse, workers can increase their chances of staying safe and sound while still being efficient on the job. With products being loaded and unloaded constantly, it’s always a good idea to look out for forklifts and other equipment that can pose a hazard on the warehouse floor. Fortunately, more companies today focus on worker safety and are committed to purchasing and installing shelving that will allow not only for greater use of floor space, but also allow workers to do their jobs safely while having peace of mind on the job.
