How many no-accident days have you recorded this year?
Is your safety official constantly on the go, putting out fires?
While cleanliness may not be officially written into the company policy or engraved in your livery, maintaining high housekeeping standards will yield far-reaching results. Companies must realise that housekeeping goes beyond the once-a-day sweep and emptying of bins.
It’s ludicrous that safety is perceived as being more trouble than it’s worth.
Sure, people know to avoid the obvious hazards; keeping out of busy traffic lanes, wearing PPE and lifting safely (at least they should), but actively cleaning up takes the back seat most times.
The HSE produces an annual safety statistics report showing reported injuries across the UK for a given year. Safety officials use it to assess and adjust their modes of operation. In the past year, three accidents occur frequently; they are:
• Transport accidents
• Falls – Slips and falls from height
• Fires – Oily rag combustion, combination of chemicals etc.
These three are also the leading causes of fatalities among warehouse workers.
95% of major slips result in broken bones and account for 1.3 million lost working days annually, The HSE estimates slips and trips in the workplace cost the warehousing industry over £ 500M per year.
It’s no surprise that the most efficient, productive warehouses are those that are neat and well-organized. Avoiding all accidents should be one of your main organisational goals. Yet many times, we see one scrap of rubbish and leave it lying there. But if everyone did exactly the same thing, how long would it take for chaos to rule? If the sight of even one bit of paper, debris, clutter is accepted as normal, then other more serious health and safety hazards are also likely to be taken for granted.
Warehouses are often a 24 hour operation and the thought of downtime for something as ‘mundane’ as cleaning may not fly with managers on a deadline. But disregarding basic housekeeping rules, leads to:
• Cluttered storage zones and shelves.
• Blocked aisles, stairways and exits
• Potentially combustible materials stored near sources of ignition.
• Amass of untidily piled inventory
• Storage of items that are no longer needed
As a manager, here is a checklist you can use to help reduce accidents and keep your warehouse tidy:
• Among employees, reinforce the notion that housekeeping is everyone’s responsibility
• Encourage the use of shelves, bins and trays to store tools and other work items
• Constant patrolling to ensure aisles, stairways, and exits are free from debris
• Provide a block of time for everyone to clean up every day.
Benefits of keeping your warehouse clean include:
• Maintaining clean and tidy work areas allow more efficient working
• A clean environment can serve as a morale booster for staff and reflects a well-run organisation. It also sets precedence for others to clean up as they work.
• You’ll be amazed at the extra space and supposedly missing inventory/tools that turn up when regular cleaning occurs.
• Facilitates better inventory control of tools and supplies
Good housekeeping is an ongoing process; it never really stops.
Using the checklist multiple times during the day and not only at the end of the shift, can help prevent costly accidents. Don’t wait for an accident before panic clean-up occurs.
Monarch Shelving Ltd, a supplier of warehouse shelving encourages you to embrace a clean-as-you-go culture among your warehouse staff. Contact us for all your shelving requirements.
