Stress in a distribution centre: symptoms, effects and solutions
A distribution centre is a lively place packed with trucks, forklifts, conveyor belts, pallet trucks, order picking trolleys, personnel, noise and more. This alone can be a source of stress. Added to this is the need for all these elements to work together as a well-oiled machine – day in, day out. This applies even at peak times, which is reason enough to monitor your employees for stress. It may cause them to become careless – and you are the one who has to deal with the fallout.
In the world of e-commerce, speed and efficiency are worth their weight in gold. With web shops promising short delivery times (sometimes the same day as the order), customers now take this for granted. This calls for a well-conceived logistics plan and a workforce that does not succumb to stress. However, reality sometimes gets in the way of the theory, leading to intense periods of stress.
Stress comes with health risks both in the long term and the short term. A stressed employee is more likely to take risks than someone who has the time to do everything by the book. During periods of peak activity, the likelihood of workplace accidents rises.
No distribution centre is immune to this, so make sure your infrastructure is optimally prepared thanks to protective polymer materials. No shipment is worth risking your employee safety for.
Symptoms:
1. Inappropriate driving behaviour by forklift drivers
Safety is the first casualty of stress in a distribution centre, especially when forklift trucks are part of the process. Example: When a major Dutch brewery conducted a risk assessment, it found that stress was the biggest risk factor in the company. Not only did stress itself lead to dangerous manoeuvres, but the hectic pace was causing the forklift drivers to tire more quickly and lose concentration. In other words: one risk leads to another.
2. Unhappy or frustrated employees
In every distribution centre, there are times when employees are under time pressure and rush their work. Periods of peak activity are, in essence, a stress test for the company's operations. If these peak periods result in the same problems happening over and over again, employees start to become annoyed. In the long run, this has an (overwhelmingly negative) impact on their general attitude, resulting in reduced involvement, less communication, more mistakes and increased absences. Regular clashes or internal conflicts also indicate that something is wrong.
Minor accidents with physical consequences
Shipments fail to leave on time
This is one of the most serious consequences of stress running riot through the ranks. Not only can an error in judgement or control cause significant (economic) damage, but it can result in personal injury or worse. Make safety a top priority in the distribution centre. Install safety barriers and use handrails, bollards, rack protection and column protection.
Obstacles in aisles
Stress and a lack of concentration also lead to traffic problems. If the rules set out in the traffic plan are not followed when at work, this can cause accidents as well as congestion in the aisles. This applies to forklifts, pallet trucks and order pickers. As a result, the risk of damage and injury increases. This is why it is important to install sufficient safety barriers, column and rack protection.
Minor accidents with physical consequences
Accidents do not always have to involve vehicles. A distressed person makes mistakes in judgement. While these mistakes may be minor in themselves, they can have far-reaching consequences. Rushing down the stairs or moving quickly across a slippery floor, for example, can cause a person to slip or fall heavily.
Shipments fail to leave on time
Stressed employees are less focused and more tired, with parcels failing to be sent out by the specified deadline and entering the logistics chain far too late.
Shipping errors
It is not just the shipping process that encounters delays. Mistakes are also made when parcels are put together or the address is written on it. The problem is that these errors are usually not discovered until the recipient has it in their hands. And that's too late.
But there are solutions...
Create an efficient workspace
Traffic plan
If a warehouse's layout and traffic flow are tailored to the distribution process, this significantly reduces the risk of work-related stress. A traffic plan is an important factor to take into consideration here. When everyone knows their place, this reduces the risk of forklift accidents and increases efficiency on the shop floor. This has a direct impact on the conduct of the workers involved. Physical boundaries, supplemented by floor markings, are also very useful.
Walking and driving distances
When organising a distribution centre, space plays a key role. The driving and walking distances involved in your employees' work has to be factored into this. Make sure these distances are always tailored to your workers and their activities. This is especially true for order pickers. The greater the distance they have to travel, the greater the cost. Think that's being too reductive? On the contrary: if employees have to travel longer distances, this increases your lead times. This means that workers get less done in a given time frame and within the daily budget.
Sufficient space
If space is limited, this can cause the warehouse to become cluttered and prompt forklift operators to perform irresponsible manoeuvres. Expanding a warehouse or moving to a larger facility is not an easy task. This is why it is so important to divide up the space you already have as efficiently as possible.
Consider the width of the aisles through which a forklift has to pass. Typically, 200 mm to 350 mm of free space is required around the truck. You can calculate the minimum aisle width based on the dimensions of the forklift. For some aisles, remember that a truck may need to be able to turn 90° depending on the work it is being used for.
Appoint a confidential counsellor
In an environment where everyone is working against the clock, it is important to talk about work stress. This can be done by appointing a supervisor, a prevention counsellor or a colleague. With a colleague, the threshold for discussion is lower. This person can then inform the organisation, which can take measures as required.
Give people the freedom to do things their way
Someone who is knee-deep in the distribution process every day has a clear view of how it works and what its shortcomings are. It can be worthwhile to give this person the freedom to organise the process as they see fit. Let people think about how to improve certain processes and make clear agreements together.
Create a stable workflow
Every distribution centre has to deal with periods of peak activity. The goal is to limit them as much as possible. And when they do happen? Be realistic. Which shipments are a priority and which have some leeway? This will help you to prevent stress from building up.
Call for a time-out in critical stress situations
If you notice that your employees are in overdrive during a period of peak activity, don't hesitate to call a halt to work for a moment. During this brief pause, discuss the situation with the people involved and, if possible, adjust the approach to the process. As pressure decreases, concentration increases, which is essential in a distribution centre.
Prepare for risky behaviour fuelled by stress
Even the most disciplined order picker is not immune to prolonged heavy workloads. As their stress levels rise, their behaviour and judgement will be affected. They will think less about the potential consequences of risky behaviour, which can lead to dangerous situations, particularly for forklift drivers.
In a warehouse where the infrastructure is protected against risky behaviour, damage and injuries will be limited. This is why polymer safety solutions are well worth considering. Discover the safety options for your warehouse in this white paper.