Warehouses are unlike most working environments in an organization and are quite risky to work in. The employees who work in such establishments must deal with a number heavy machinery, equipment and vehicles that pose a real and significant threat to themselves and all those around them. It is the responsibility of the warehouse managers to ensure that the facility is safe for the employees to work in, without ambiguity and fear.
If you are a manager who wishes to run your storehouse in a profitable manner, while maintaining a safe environment for the employees to work in, the following few safety pointers will be of help to you.
Consult an expert
A facility of this nature is exposed to several forms of serious dangers at almost all times of the day and your knowledge and expertise on the subject may not be sufficient to keep it safe from all of them. This is why it is advisable to hire professionals to inspect the storehouse and look for any areas that might become a problem in the future, so that you can take the necessary steps to repair, replace or remove. Fire safety consultants Sydney for instance will conduct a comprehensive inspection of the warehouse facility and the area surrounding it to check whether there are any aspects that might be cause for alarm. They will also evaluate if the current safety measures are sufficient to handle an emergency situation and if not, they will provide useful recommendations to be implemented immediately.
Develop a safety culture
If you want your employees to be safe from danger and have peace of mind, so that they can fulfill their tasks in an efficient and productive manner, you must develop an organizational culture that is naturally inclined towards effectively practicing the set regulations. Regularly conduct fire safety audits and other such assessments to ensure that everything is as assuring as they can be and inform the workforce about these positive results. Also, incentivize them to perform their jobs in the safest manner possible by rewarding such behavior and recognizing such achievements. Continuously improve employee knowledge about the most efficient and risk-free ways of doing their jobs and keep them updated regarding the latest techniques of mitigating workplace danger.
A well-lit facility
This might sound like a relatively unimportant point that you can afford to overlook, but poor lighting of the warehouse can lead to a number of serious accidents that can bring harm to the workers. Even inside a properly lighted facility, it is difficult to operate the heavy machinery and move the many crates and pallets of cargo without causing damages to any of the employees or organizational property, and in poor lighting conditions, these jobs will become next to impossible. Therefore, use an adequate number of lights in the areas of the storehouse where they are needed and try to make the best use of the natural sun light by installing as many windows and skylights.