Making your workplace safe is one of the essential tasks for any business owner or manager. The New Zealand government has put in place an act that governs the efforts that employers take to ensure safety at the workplace.
A safe workplace not only helps your employees to work without interruptions but can also help you to avoid potential lawsuits due to injuries at the workplace. Attaching value to safety and creating a workplace culture around it will make everyone involved to understand its importance.
In addition to conducting a warehouse safety audit at least once a year, this can help to keep your workers safe at the workplace. While many organizations show the will to embrace workplace safety, not all of them get it right. The following tips will help your workers safe at the warehouse.
Involve your employees in safety planning.
Employees need to understand the efforts you have put in place to ensure their safety. If you have added equipment like fire extinguishers, they need to know how to use it safely. Bring in experts in workplace health and safety to give your employees tips on how to handle certain situations.
These professionals should equip them with skills to help in avoiding injuries and managing cases where there is an emergency or an employee has been injured. When adding safety equipment, ensure it is placed in an open area where employees can reach it quickly when needed.
Create a safe work area.
Storage organization is everything in a warehouse. Improper planning or use of space could result in poor storage and eventually, accidents. You should ensure that all items are kept in areas that they are easy to access.
The shelves should be strong enough to handle whatever is placed on them. You should also remove clutter, label items, and keep heavy machinery and equipment on the lower shelves or floors. Make sure there is enough room to load and unload materials.
Remove unnecessary hazards.
With help from professionals, conduct a thorough assessment of your workplace to find and remove any items that can compromise safety. Check the equipment, movement spaces, storage, and the floors to determine whether they are right for your warehouse.
Check the toxicity of the chemicals in use and find replacements if available. You should also make use of signs and provide employees with protective gear that can help them to avoid severe injuries.
Training your employees and using the right safety equipment is necessary towards creating a safe workplace culture at the warehouse. There are many things you can do, but this is only possible if you involve workers. Educating them and getting their commitment to safety in the workplace is the best way to start.
Creating a workplace safety culture is critical to any business that wants to reduce the rate of injuries at the workplace. With the tips outlined above, you will be in an excellent position to implement this culture at your warehouse. Besides, you can always consult experts in injury prevention to help.
