It’s really not as if anyone is put to work in a warehouse these days without first being taken through a comprehensive health and safety checklist. Warehouses have the potential to be uniquely hazardous places, though it’s also true to say that almost every workplace accident with only a few rare exceptions is an easily preventable scenario.

Every member of the workforce plays their own part in creating and maintaining a safe environment in which to work. Nevertheless, infinitely more responsibility falls on the shoulders of supervisors and managers, who ultimately take responsibility for the health and safety of the entire work force.

So for those with every intention of creating and maintaining the safest working environment possible, what follows is a handful of essential tips and reminders that often go overlooked or forgotten:

1 – Trucks and Trolleys

First of all, it’s relatively common for those working in warehouses these days not to bother considering upgrading their trucks and trolleys until they quite literally fall to pieces. The only problem being that if they choose to do so at entirely the wrong moment, the results could be catastrophic to say the least. As such, it’s important to think realistically and proactively about the condition of such items and when they were last replaced. Whatever is required, it’s a small price to pay for health and safety.

2 – Shelving Systems

It’s also a good idea to take a walk around the warehouse and think carefully about exactly how safe and secure the current shelving system is. The simple fact of the matter is that not all warehouse shelving is produced to the same high quality standard and it is inevitable that lower-grade shelving systems will sooner or later need replacing. Once again, it is better to find this out ahead of time and make the decision proactively, rather than waiting for fast-fading shelving systems to pose a serious health and safety threat to the workforce.

3 – Storage Practices

Keep an eye on sensible storage practices, as what gets stored where and how, is also extremely important. There will always be members of the workforce who after getting comfortable with their roles take it upon themselves to start storing and positioning things anywhere and anyhow they see fit. Such actions do however occasionally lead to rather dire consequences and therefore shouldn’t be overlooked.

4 – Lifting and Carrying

The same also goes for the lifting and carrying techniques adopted by members of the workforce while going about their business. It is technically the responsibility of each employee to ensure that they follow the rules and guidelines established during their training. However, it can still bring an enormous headache for the business as a whole when accidents or injuries are caused by improper lifting and carrying techniques, so it’s important to keep an eye on them.

5 – Floor Checks

Last but not least, it’s only ever a matter of time until the warehouse floor itself falls into a rather unfortunate state and needs to be repaired or upgraded. As is the case across almost every working environment across the board, trips and falls represent the most common and completely preventable examples of warehouse accidents of all – it simply makes sense to be proactive.