KEEP YOUR WAREHOUSE SAFE AND EFFICIENT WITH THESE EQUIPMENT BEST PRACTICES
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KEEP YOUR WAREHOUSE SAFE AND EFFICIENT WITH THESE EQUIPMENT BEST PRACTICES
01
The occurrence of employee While workplace injuries trend down,
professionals who oversee warehouses can
injuries has declined over the
still do more to improve their operations. A
past few decades, according
good start is making sure the facility is in
to data collected by Bureau of
compliance with Occupational Safety and
Labor Statistics. In 2015, there Health Administration standards; this will not
were 2.9 million employee- only save you from incurring fines for being
reported nonfatal injuries and out of compliance but can also lend to a
illnesses, translating to 3 per much safer atmosphere at work.
100 employees. By comparison,
However, settling for OSHA compliance
the rate of nonfatal injuries
shouldn’t be your end goal, Joe Bolduc, the
and illnesses was 10.9 per 100 director of safety and compliance for Material
employees in 1972. Additionally, Handling Services, noted. Rather, your
from 2003 until 2015, total ultimate pursuit should be a zero-injury, zero-
incidents reported fell every incident environment. This is the standard
year with one exception in 2012. Miner strives for.
“OSHA’s done a great job of providing
standards to prevent injuries, but companies
need to go above and beyond,” he said.
Meeting and surpassing OSHA standards and
tailoring safety efforts toward each unique
facility and work environment are the best
ways to protect employees from being injured
on the job.
1-844-646-3787 www.minercorp.com
02
IT STARTS WITH KNOWLEDGE
AND A PLAN
The first step in creating a safer
work environment is training.
The second is defined processes
and procedures.
Employees must have a clear understanding
of how to use each piece of equipment,
including start-up and shutdown. They also
need to know what to do when a machine
behaves differently and how to spot signs
of deterioration or failure. Further, they must
know exactly what they’re expected to do
while on the job and how to execute each
necessary task.
These are reinforced when employers take
the time to observe their employees on the
job, pointing out when they make a mistake
and providing recognition when they do the
right thing.
1-844-646-3787 www.minercorp.com
03
Confusion about any aspects of employees’ This is because warehousing, machinery and
job duties can be disruptive, slow down maintenance are not most companies’ core
processes and lead to an unsafe work business focuses. For example, a computer
environment. It’s up to employers to have manufacturer has all the knowledge required
clearly defined processes and procedures for to create a great computer; but does that
their workplace, as well as to provide adequate company know the best way to store or
and regular employee training. transport its products?
Once training and clear procedures are in Far too often, companies
place, the last critical aspect of a safe and misstep in outfitting their
efficient work environment is having the right
warehouses simply because they
equipment in place. Unlike training, defining
don’t have the right information.
policies and procedures, and observation
and recognition, which are all in the hands Choosing a forklift, for example, requires an
of employers, procuring, installing and understanding of the benefits and drawbacks
maintaining equipment is something that’s not of specific models and how they apply to a
always easy for company leadership. particular application.
1-844-646-3787 www.minercorp.com
04
EQUIPMENT ESSENTIAL NO. 1:
THE RIGHT SIZE AND RATING
At Miner, we’ve seen many warehouses with In addition to forklifts, it’s also
forklifts that are the wrong size – either they’re
important to have:
too big to safely fit down the warehouses
aisles, or they’re too small and aren’t sufficient • Right-sized doors to make sure
to lift the weight of the products stored at the loading and unloading is done as
facility. This can cause a serious injury risk. If efficiently as possible.
a lift truck that is only rated to handle 4,000
• Shelving that’s strong enough to hold the
pounds attempts to raise a 5,000-pound load,
weight of your inventory.
the truck could tip over or the forks become
damaged, putting worker safety at stake and • The correct weather protection to
potentially causing irreparable damage to keep precipitation, wind and dirt out
valuable inventory. of the warehouse.
1-844-646-3787 www.minercorp.com05
EQUIPMENT ESSENTIAL NO. 2:
THE RIGHT SAFETY DEVICES
Another frequent mistake many warehouse managers make is
not installing safety devices they may not know they need.
One of the most common causes of loading the unloading or loading session, preventing it
dock accidents is trailer creep. This occurs from moving away from the dock.
when a trailer parked at the dock for loading or
Some models have a series of light
unloading rolls away from the dock as workers
communications systems as well, further
in lift trucks move in and out of the trailer.
enhancing workplace safety. For example,
Trailer creep can be caused by the jostling of a green light inside the trailer will illuminate
workers moving in and out of the trailer, by when the dock lock is activated, signaling
the motion of the lift truck inside the trailer to workers that it’s safe to move ahead.
or by another factor that causes the truck to Meanwhile, a red light appears outside the
move. In some cases, the repetitive movements trailer, indicating that the trailer will not move.
cause airbags in the trailer’s suspension When the restraints are removed, the interior
system to depress, which can move the deck light turns red, telling employees not to
of the trailer away from the loading dock – enter the trailer because it’s not secured. The
sometimes by several feet. Workers may not exterior light then turns green, indicating that
notice the gradual or sudden appearance of it’s safe for the trailer to pull away.
a gap between the warehouse and the truck
Other safety devices include bumpers on the
and drive off the ledge – an accident that can
loading dock, chains or other barriers to mark
cause serious injury or even be fatal.
the edge of the dock and to indicate that it’s
Trailer restraints are the best defense against not safe to drive near it, light communications
these accidents, particularly the models that systems and wheel chocks. Further, personal
attach directly to the trailer’s ICC bar. These protective equipment should be readily
physically hold the trailer in place throughout available for workers to use.
1-844-646-3787 www.minercorp.com06
EQUIPMENT ESSENTIAL NO. 3:
THE RIGHT AMOUNT
It’s not uncommon for companies to have backup equipment or
devices on hand in case something fails.
While this concept can be helpful in some procedures they were trained on. They might
instances, it becomes a drain on the company in start getting in each other’s ways or become
other situations, such as if a company invests in fatigued quicker because they’re working
eight forklifts because it knows it needs six but harder. When a workflow warps into a path
two will almost always be out of commission. that the facility isn’t designed to accommodate,
it slows down productivity and can cause a
A better approach to this would be to have
safety hazard for the workers. Fully functional
six trucks - the amount actually needed - and
equipment is necessary to keeping a working
maintain them regularly and correctly so they’re
environment as efficient as possible.
rarely out of commission.
In addition to creating a safety hazard on
The dilemma of too many or not enough items
the job, there are several other negative
isn’t just limited to trucks. Another example is
consequences of having the wrong amount
not having enough docks at the loading bay
of equipment. First, it requires the company
because one or two of the doors are broken.
to purchase more items than necessary, an
Just because a company only has eight
expense that impacts the bottom line. Second,
operable docks when it requires 10 doesn’t
it creates a need for additional maintenance to
mean the work will slow down accordingly.
be performed on those excess items – another
In a situation like this, employees are then profit-depleting cost. Finally, it takes up room;
expected to do 10 doors’ worth of unloading lift trucks aren’t small items, and storing
through just eight doors, creating a more broken-down vehicles is a misuse of valuable
convoluted workflow and, in some cases, floor space.
forcing employees to stray from the policies or
1-844-646-3787 www.minercorp.com07
EQUIPMENT ESSENTIAL NO. 4:
THE RIGHT MAINTENANCE
Periodic inspections and regular maintenance “Never settle for equipment that’s not reliable
are essential to keeping equipment functioning or not working according to manufacturer
properly. Unfortunately, these tasks are too specifications,” Bolduc advised any facility
often overlooked. manager or professional who oversees
operations at a warehouse.
“A lot of employers run their equipment to
failure, then limp along,” Bolduc explained. Instead, work with trusted
The employers may then continue to try professionals who can point out
using the equipment, even though it’s not inefficiencies, spot weaknesses
working properly, or attempt to do the in equipment and correctly
work without the assistance of a piece of install and maintain mission-
equipment. Both reduce safety inside the
critical machinery.
warehouse. When using equipment that’s
already showing signs of failure, the machine
may act in unexpected ways.
To prevent this, it’s important that companies
invest time into equipment inspections and
proactive maintenance. Working with expert
service professionals can take this task off
manager’s shoulders; this way, not only can the
company focus on its core business instead of
equipment functionality, but it can rest assured
that professionally serviced equipment will get
the job done completely and correctly.
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