A warehouse can be a hazardous environment, if appropriate safety measures are not taken.
Keeping workers safe should be a priority for warehouse operators. Doing so will reduce rates of absenteeism, and drive up productivity. It will improve morale among workers, too. On top of this, it will also safeguard operators against legal risk.
What Health and Safety Regulations Apply in Warehouses?
In the US, Health and Safety is overseen by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
The organization points to several relevant areas of law. Standards for general industry (29 CFR 1910) cover everything from dock boards to ladders to stairways to ventilation. These are not unique to warehousing, but they are worth bearing in mind.
On top of this, there are state-specific health and safety programs. These are required by law to be at least as stringent as the federal standards – but some states go further. The organization runs special programs called National Emphasis Programs (NEPs), whose goal is to target high-hazard industries for inspection.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act provides a ‘General Duty’ clause, in section 5a. This clause places the onus on employers to address safety concerns wherever they become apparent. If an employer becomes aware of a problem that could cause serious injury or death, and does not act to address the problem, then they might find themselves cited.
For example, you might find that a faulty piece of machinery is at risk of causing injury. If you have good relationships with suppliers like RS Americas, you might be able to quickly source components and carry out the necessary repairs before the situation deteriorates.
Why Does Health and Safety Matter in a Warehouse?
We’ve already touched upon several good reasons to take health and safety seriously in this industry.
For one thing, doing so will help to drive down workplace injuries and fatalities. This will reduce absenteeism directly, but it might also have indirect consequences. Fewer employees will leave the company because of the perceived risks of staying, which will reduce employee turnover and ultimately make it easier to retain staff.
Workers who feel that their safety is being prioritized are not only more likely to stay within the organization, but they’re also more likely to commit greater effort, and be more productive. In many cases, this difference is difficult to quantify – but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.
Getting the best from your health and safety policy often means consulting the people who’ll be enacting it: the workers themselves. Often, there might be practical obstacles that prevent a well-meaning policy from being as effective as it might be. By consulting employees, you can adapt your policies so that they truly help to drive down rates of injury in your warehouses.