How To Deal With Common Warehouse Accidents
04 Jun 2018
Warehouses are full of hidden hazards, and just one wrong move could lead to some serious injuries. Even when full health and safety training has been given, dangers still exist. Let’s have a look at some of them and how you can deal with common warehouse accidents.
Collapsing Pallet Racks
If you don’t store your pallets in the correct fashion, then you’re storing up potential future problems and the possibility of a collapsing rack. The higher the rack, the more dangerous the incident can be with pallets turning into flying projectiles. If you want to avoid such a hazard, then the best thing to do is to wrap and place the pallets with the heaviest goods at the bottom and stack the lighter goods on top. Warehouse managers should implement a safety programme to inspect racks on a regular basis to avoid potential accidents.
Slips and Falls
These make up the majority of accidents in a warehouse, and indeed constitute the largest proportion of accidents industry-wide. In fact, they make up 15% of accidental deaths, coming in second place only to those caused by motor vehicles. Having said this, they are also the most preventable of accidents. So how do you deal with common warehouse accidents like slips and falls? Warehouse managers should ensure that work areas are kept tidy and that walkways are free from clutter. When spills happen they should be cleaned up immediately, and the area should be sectioned off until this has happened.
Problems with Hazardous Materials
Even small spills and leaks can be a danger when hazardous materials are involved. Managers need to ensure that protective clothing is available on site and that employees know exactly how to react if someone is exposed to chemicals. Safety sheets that are up to date must be available, and staff should know how to contain and clean up spills safely. While the spilling of hazardous material might seem like a serious incident, with the proper training and a decent action plan in place, employees can act quickly to minimise the impact.
Crashes with Forklifts
Believe it or not, accidents with forklifts happen more often than you’d think and can be fatal. Proper operational training must be provided, and vehicles should be routinely checked to make sure they’re in correct working order.
Ergonomic Strain
Not just for the office, ergonomic strain can impact workers in the warehouse also and is associated most commonly with back and foot injuries. But how do you deal with common warehouse accidents like ergonomic strain? The best way is to ensure that your workers are not pushing their bodies beyond the extreme. Never ask them to do more than they physically can. Train everyone on how to lift correctly and you’ll cut down on the number of sick days caused by back injuries.