How can you avoid warehouse hazards?

I have investigated six forklift cases in the past few years. Most of the cases involved: 1. lack of training per 29 CFR 1910.178 and experience 2. Production quotas 3. Inattention, using cell phones/texting 4. Lack of rules including speeding, not stopping/slowing at corners and intersections 5. Not separating forklifts and workers on as much as practical including restricted pedestrian paths and forklift isles 6. Lack of periodic audits by experienced forklift trainers 7. Wrong forklift for the task

-By making use of MSDS when handling raw materials and spillage to prevent inhalation of dangerous dusts and gases. - By keeping forklifts in good condition and having a maintenance plan to avoid accidents in the warehouse. - Proper training for forklift drivers on safety issues. -Having a speed limit for forklifts driving in the warehouse

Few insights : 1. Must factor correct pallet load capacity and have regular check and audits 2. All safety gurads , rails etc must be part of intralogistics solution 3. Surface, racks and equipment must get audited intermittently 4. Last safety is everyone's responsibility

In Portakabin we allow that 'pause' and to call a stop if anything is not right. Our mantra is Health, safety and welfare is central to everything.

>Reporting hazards is essential in noting the frequency of hazards and mapping ways to eliminate them >Housekeeping also helps in keeping the warehouse tidy and free from obstruction as well as disposal of redundant packaging. > Staff training and provision of PPE cannot be over-emphasized as well.

A 5S approach is the best prevention for these cases. Instruct and teach the staff how to organize, provide storage solutions for equipment and mark areas appropriately. Thus, trip and slip hazards will be easier to spot. If necessary, make visible lists of cleanup and checks, with clearly assigned owners. It is important to you as a manager to do regular walks on site, at a minimum a weekly check of the work areas. Ideally, walks will be done during operations, to observe a realistic situation, and not a best case scenario outside working hours or when tidying up has been done. During checks of areas, see if you can use "fresh eyes"- other department members, new joiners, as they can give you insight you may not have.

Having accessible MSDS info available to all and teaching that info to employees is important to preventing these types of things. As well as having regular PMs done on equipment and filling out equipment check sheets daily are also good ways to prevent these things.

Good training is key to safely operating equipment. As well as having systems in place to promote safety like SLAM (Stop Look Assess and Manage), slowing down using horns and mirrors and making eye contact when passing or going through doorways or intersections. Holding employees accountable for wrong doings and rewarding good safe behaviors with praise or other means.

Vehicles need to have appropriate labels, certification of safety attached to visible areas. Good additional equipment to install on forklifts are: blue lights, cameras for backward driving, or token connected automatic stop systems. In enclosed areas, block the speed of equipment (i.e 5, 10km/h) to avoid misuse by operators. LOTO process needs to be taught as well as LOTO areas set up for faulty vehicles.

start with a briefing short. less is more. ask a few questions about what was briefed. it’s asking me to say more here. i feel that is too much information.

One thing I’ve noted in my years of warehouse work is that eliminating all but the necessary foot traffic is immensely helpful. Having designated walkways that have light and/or sound activation when they’re in use is beneficial as operators will pay more attention than normal when the lights/sounds are active. I’m also a big fan of the blue lights on machines.

Testing all employees every day , give them an safety meeting daily, don't let them selfish , teach them to be team helping each other.

Unless a freak accident happens like when an aircract crashes into the warehouse (one if those rare, uncontrollable mishaps), warehouse hazards can be avoided through normal programs and systems within a well kept and managed warehouse - from Security, Safety, Preventive Maintenance, Housekeeping and even Pest Control Programs can prevent warehouse hazards