Warehouses are dangerous places, regardless of the industry. Many contain dangerous machines like forklifts, trash compactors, and conveyor systems. They may also contain potentially hazardous chemicals. It’s not enough to know the best practices—you also need to know tips for enforcing warehouse safety rules.
Assign a Safety Officer
Depending on the size of your warehouse, you may not need to hire a safety officer as an independent worker. Nevertheless, it’s good to designate someone as the go-to person for such responsibilities. That employee can be in charge of training sessions and keeping all the appropriate rules posted in convenient locations for everyone to read. If a safety concern pops up, the other employees will go to that person for help.
Keep Controls Locked
If you’ve seen TV shows like the American version of The Office, you know how unsafe it can be when an untrained employee gets access to dangerous machines, such as a forklift or a conveyor belt. Hopefully, you’ve never had to witness similar incidents in real life.
One way to keep unauthorized employees away from things that are off-limits is to lock them away. Only those with keys or those who can operate control panels can then access them. This practice is vital for enforcing safety guidelines around conveyor equipment since untrained employees can hurt themselves or others due to their ignorance of the dangers.
Hold Regular Training
Ignorance is often to blame for accidents in warehouses. To fight ignorance, you must train your employees not only in the proper procedures but on the consequences of not following them. New employees should receive extensive safety training related to their duties when hired, while long-time workers should get standard training at least once a year.
Limit Access With Keycards
If you’re especially worried about unauthorized personnel compromising your warehouse safety, you can keep them out using a keycard security lock. This way, only approved workers can even get in the your warehouse or certain rooms within it.
We hope these tips for enforcing warehouse safety rules lead to fewer incidents at your workplace. Remember—you’re only as safe as your least responsible employee.