Warehouse work is inherently dangerous. While working in a warehouse typically presents obvious dangers like handling heavy machinery, some hazards go unnoticed and can pose a significant threat to worker safety. Here are a few hidden warehouse safety issues you won’t want to overlook.
Repetitive strain injuries
While this hazard looks different for every worker, most workers do the same repetitive tasks day in and day out. Repeated movements, short rest periods, and unsafe techniques can contribute to workers developing a repetitive strain injury. Proper stretching, movement, and lifting guidelines are imperative to avoiding these types of injuries.
Dehydration
Warehouses are often hot and humid and require physical labor. This combination can contribute to dehydration, leading to tiredness and weakness on the job, creating an even more significant hazard. Workers must take water breaks, even when they do not feel thirsty, to avoid dehydration. By avoiding dehydration, workers can also prevent some of the human error incidents we will discuss next.
Human error
Human error contributes to many injuries and incidents on the job. A slipup in concentration, skipping steps within safety procedures, and many other human errors can result in serious injury. You should implement strict procedural guidelines and constantly update training sessions. Limiting distractions, like banning cellphones on the warehouse floor, is also a great way to limit the risk of human errors. Even using LED high-bay lighting can help reduce human error. LED lights will benefit worker safety by improving the warehouse’s brightness for clearer vision on the job. It will also keep workers alert with good light sources.
Falls and slips
While falls and slips are a common warehouse safety issue, people often forgot them until they happen. By human nature, we tend to become comfortable with repetitive tasks and forget about the dangers associated with them as time goes on. Even walking from one station to the next in a warehouse can result in a dangerous fall. Wearing the proper nonslip shoes helps keep workers on their feet during their shift.
Warehouse work is dangerous. To avoid any unnecessary incidents in your facility, be on the lookout for these hidden warehouse safety issues.
