5 Common Warehouse Safety Hazards

Warehouses are busy places, and employees need to stay safe when working. Warehouse safety hazards aren’t limited to the obvious, like forklift accidents and falling off of ladders, but they include less obvious things.

Warehouses can be dangerous places to work, with heavy machinery around, numerous employees, numerous visitors, and a variety of moving parts, warehouses present some unique dangers. From forklift accidents to slips and falls to electrical injuries, warehouses are notorious for causing injuries.

Despite the common belief that warehouses are about order and neatness, the warehouse environment can be hazardous. Warehouse workers are required to spend a great deal of their time on their feet, which puts a lot of wear and tear on their feet, often leading to injuries. Warehouses also have an extensive list of potential hazards, so warehouse workers must be aware of these issues and take steps to avoid them.

  1. Slip, Trip, and Fall – Maintaining a warehouse can be a lot of work, including making sure your warehouse is safe for all workers. Slip, trip, and fall hazards can pop up in your warehouse, which can endanger employees and damage belongings and products.
  2. Lack of safety training and knowledge – Accidents happen from time to time at any workplace. No matter what industry you are in. Warehouses are no exception. Unfortunately, unsafe warehouse practices harm or kill hundreds of thousands of workers each year. The main warehouse safety hazards are worker fatigue, improper equipment, lack of safety training, lack of safety knowledge, and inadequate supervision.
  3. Moving Machinery – When you work near moving machinery, you must wear protective gear, such as a safety helmet with side shields, protective goggles, or protective eyewear. Moving machinery that is operated manually is incredibly dangerous. Being vigilant in the warehouse remains immensely important. This is probably why businesses opt for service providers like Lawson Drayage (a sparks rigging company) that specialize in smooth and stress-free relocation of heavy machinery.
  4. Falling objects – Working in a warehouse can be dangerous, but falling objects pose a very real risk. Luckily, many of the most common warehouse safety hazards such as falling objects, can be easily avoided with proper planning and training. Employees are especially at risk since they can overlook potential dangers or are simply not aware of precautions that need to be taken. But warehouse owners and managers also need to be aware of potential hazards and take steps to avoid them.
  5. Physical strain – Warehouses can be dangerous places to work. For one, because of the heavy equipment being loaded here and there. And another, standing for long periods of time, lifting heavy loads, and sitting at a workstation can also cause physical strain. In the former case, however, the chances of accidents and getting hurt due to it are minimally low, especially when the machines are moved by professional Crane Lifting Services experts. But, for the latter, warehouse workers should practice proper posture, follow safety procedures, and take steps to prevent fatigue.

For Employers – Make Sure Your Employee Have Proper Safety Gear for Your Workplace

Warehouse safety is of the utmost importance. There are countless injuries that proper safety procedures can prevent. Make sure you take the right precautions to keep your warehouse operating safely and your workers safe. Warehouses can be hazardous places to work. From pesticides to heavy machinery, warehouses are chock full of dangerous substances. These substances can splash upon workers, causing potential health and chemical exposure. Hence, employers may have to ensure that their workers have proper safety gear like helmets, face shields, eyewear, ear protection, respiratory protection, gloves (if interested, check out Unigloves
), vests, and kneepads. Warehouse safety is often overlooked by employers. While warehouse work can be risky, there are ways to make it safer.

Every warehouse works differently, but warehouse safety is always top-of-mind. There are many warehouse hazards in the industrial workplace, but the most common accidents and injuries occur in loading and unloading operations. Do your research on keeping up with warehouse safety, and maybe check Newswire and other online resources to help you better protect your employees.

Warehouses are dangerous places, and one of the most dangerous hazards is forklifts. Forklifts are vehicles that operate with highly flexible and powered wheels that travel on an uneven surface. A forklift is a large vehicle that makes it easy for people to fall off, and when they do, they can be seriously injured. Many warehouses use forklifts to move products from one area of the warehouse to another. Many warehouses also use forklifts to move products around in the warehouse because forklifts are fast and do not tire easily.