Top 5 Safety Tips For Distribution Centers

With so many potential hazards, distribution center safety should always be a top priority.

One way to help maintain a safer environment is by using on-site guards to help monitor and perform safety checks. They’re already patrolling, so it’s easy for them to do this extra task.

When you combine security guards with your usual safety team, you get extra eyes helping to keep your building and employees safer.

1. Ensure Employees Are Wearing Proper Safety Gear

Employees should be thoroughly trained on what safety gear to wear in all areas of the distribution center. However, it’s not uncommon for someone to forget or think they’ll be okay for just those few minutes.

All it takes is a second for something to fall off a shelf and fall on a worker’s head that’s not wearing a hardhat. Or, employees who aren’t wearing skid-proof shoes might easily slip in an area where liquids are being stored.

On-site guards help keep an eye on employees and ensure they’re using the right equipment in designated areas. For instance, if an area requires eye goggles or the scissor lift requires a harness, they check that the employee is following safety protocols.

2. Spotcheck Safety Of Shelves And Inventory

Object and machinery related accidents are all too common. Part of those accidents come from inventory on shelves not being secured properly. As on-site security guards patrol, they can spotcheck the shelves to ensure that no inventory seems to be leaning or sliding off.

It might seem simple, but those quick checks help your distribution center avoid serious accidents.

3. Check For Spills And Aisle Blockages

Two common safety hazards in distribution centers are slick floors and blocked aisles. The floors in these buildings are often slick anyway, so add a spill to the mix and you’ve got serious problems. In fact, 15% of injuries result from slips and falls.

Employees are likely going about their job and may not notice a spill until it’s too late. An on-site security guard could watch for spills and report them before anyone gets hurt.

They can also check for blockages where inventory may have fallen. If the blockage is in just the right place, a forklift could easily run into it, causing damage to inventory and potentially the shelves surrounding it.

4. Keep An Eye On Employees During Their Shifts

Security guards are there to help protect employees, even from themselves. Go over all safety protocols with the guards to help them spot potential problems. For instance, maybe certain employees are driving forklifts recklessly or always skip the proper safety equipment.

In large distribution centers, employees could get hurt and no one notice for hours. On-site security guards patrol areas often, so they’d be able to find a hurt employee quickly and get them the help they need.

Think of your security guards as an extra pair of eyes that ensure employees are following safety guidelines and haven’t been injured on the job.

5. Prevent Unauthorized Access

Finally, on-site security guards help protect both your building and employees by preventing unauthorized access. Perhaps an employee went out a side door to make a quick phone call, but forgot to lock it when they came back in. This presents a major safety problem.

Guards check doors as they patrol to ensure locked entrances/exits stay locked unless you tell them otherwise. They also monitor which employees are working in which areas. This ensures employees who haven’t been properly trained aren’t in the wrong areas doing jobs that could injure them, equipment and/or inventory.

Guards can be stationed to authorized employees by a special badge or keycard to ensure everyone stays in their designated areas and that no unauthorized personel enters the building at all.

Contact BOS Security

Are there security and safety issues in your distribution center? Start with our free Security Needs Assessment to learn more today.

Have questions about on-site security and how they can help with safety? Don’t hesitate to contact us at 404-793-6965 to learn more.

Image: Nick Saltmarsh

Atlanta, GA, USA