You can solve this problem
1. Train your staff correctly
Informed employees are safe employees: they keep their wits about them and are aware of potential risks in warehouses and logistics buildings. This means they not only react appropriately in extreme situations following an accident, but can also minimise sources of danger in advance and put safer work processes in place.
The extent to which workers are at risk depends first and foremost on their workplace. An important basis for any briefing is therefore the risk assessment. In addition, issues such as first aid or how to behave in the event of a fire are important for all employees in the company.
The best times for a briefing:
- When employees are hired – or transfer to a new area of work
- Changes in the work process
- Significant events, for example after an accident
However, the briefing will only work if it is set out in a comprehensible way and also takes the workforce’s safety needs seriously. In addition, it must be repeated regularly (at least once a year, and even every six months for adolescent workers).
2. Plan warehouses and logistics buildings well
Give thought to an appealing layout of the warehouse environment from the design stage. Sufficient space (measured by the largest vehicle used) and optimal work routes contribute to your employees’ safety just as much as adequate lighting and proper escape route signage. If your storage needs increase, don't lower your standards, but ensure space and therefore safety with innovative building solutions.
3. Check shelves regularly for damage
A small jostle from a forklift truck can be a big problem for a static shelving unit. Implement proactive fault management and inspect shelving for damage. Place the shelves in a stable position, protect them against tipping over and do not load them with more weight than permitted. Check the shelves again and again, even if no accidents have occurred. Have the shelves inspected by a professional at regular intervals. Racking protection provides additional safety.
4. Make sure you have the right protective equipment
Employees who enter warehouses and logistics buildings without suitable protective equipment must face disciplinary action – and rightly so. Employers must not only provide protective clothing, but also ensure that it is worn.
The following garments are mainly used in warehouses and logistics buildings:
- High-visibility jackets
- Head protection
- Safety footwear
- Face protection
- Hearing protection
Gloves, overalls and weather protection such as jackets and hats also protect the health and safety of employees. Special rules apply when working with dangerous goods but also near increased noise emissions. Keeping all equipment in a convenient location ensures that it is quickly to hand and staff do not miss out on protective items due to lack of time because they are stored elsewhere.
5. Invest in the health of your employees
There are now a number of resources that make work in warehouses and logistics buildings easier. Nevertheless, the employees there are exposed to particular physical stresses. Loads acting on the spine in particular, as well as overloading the arms and torso, can lead to long-term damage. Reduce the physical exertion required from your employees as much as possible and provide suitable equipment. Remind them of the optimal working posture regularly. Offer adequate recovery time and support employees who want to do something to improve their physical fitness.
6. Keep yourself up-to-date on current guidance
Comply with legal requirements – following the law is the surest way of adequately protecting employees. However, time and again there are companies that do not implement the requirements correctly. So keep yourself up-to-date on which regulations apply for your size company. This keeps you, as well as your employees, on the safe side in the event of an accident at work.
7. If it comes to it – the right first aid
Even with the greatest caution, accidents can never be completely ruled out. The more intensively employers and their workforce prepare what to do if an employee is injured in advance, the more certain it is that the right treatment will be available, even in an panic situation. One thing above all is important here: the first thing is to take care of the injured person.
- First aiders in the company must be properly trained, identified as such to their colleagues, and accessible.
- Up-to-date first-aid equipment must be easily available.
- Emergency numbers must be displayed in easily accessible places together with the names of the contact persons, so no time is wasted searching for them.
Who will be informed and when? Here, too, a clear arrangement in advance is crucial to save valuable time. Even in this extreme situation, a checklist ensures everything has been thought of and that the accident has been reported accordingly. This means that it can also be recognised later as an occupational accident.
