If you know that your warehouse safety is nowhere near the levels it should be and you are choosing to ignore them, you may soon be facing serious and potentially fatal repercussions. Every business and workplace is different and some risks are more hazardous than others, but any warehouse demands a certain level of awareness, training and risk assessment to ensure everybody who occupies that space’s safe. With a huge amount of warehouse hazards to consider, any business that ignores them in ill-advised ways to save money could soon be faced with catastrophic consequences from not tackling them head-on.
Injury or Fatality
People injure themselves in the workplace in the hundreds and thousands every year in the UK, with trips and slips being the most common cause in the warehousing sector.
When it is not tripping or slipping, the risk of something falling from pallet racking and permanently injuring someone is all too real. Falls from height are often deadly, and usually the result of improper stacking, faulty racking or overloading stock.
It could be the result of your older warehouse storage equipment holding stock that was not designed to hold or unreported damage from forklift collision or no regular safety racking check-ups. Either way, it is a shortcut to the disaster that not only hurts your staff but can completely hold up operations of your business – as well as result in hefty fines and compensation.
SEMA-approved inspectors ensure that your warehouse complies with all health and safety requirements by carrying out thorough pallet racking inspections that point out all current or potential risks and advise on the immediate course of action to fix the problem before it happens.
Legal Trouble
The warehousing sector is the most vulnerable industry for risks and potential accidents, which is why everything should be done to ensure all hazards are taken care of.
One way to avoid any legal proceedings for negligence is to evaluate your racking and storage needs, potentially with a new system or by shifting some stock to commercial shelving units. Not only will this require a shift around in operations, but also more focus on safety training for employees.
By taking this action, you are also sending the right message to your employees that you are investing in their safety within the workplace. Ignoring concerns that staff members have around improper storage and racking damage sends an incredibly negative message that will result in complaints going above your head in regard to safe working conditions.
To avoid warehouse hazards, contact the team at Monarch Shelving today to discuss your current racking requirements and other aspects of warehouse storage equipment.
