7 common risks to your workforce

With the immense pressure most forklift drivers are under to meet targets, forklift accidents caused by taking shortcuts are not uncommon. These shortcuts include driving with more than the allowed weight or speeding in the warehouse. The consequences of these shortcuts include hitting the racks, damaging the wall or product, or even colliding with a colleague.

It is imperative that you ensure that your drivers are properly trained and legally authorised to drive your vehicles. For further piece of mind, choose our FLEX IMPACT® forklift barriers for better protection of your equipment. Our flexible safety barriers absorb the shock of any collision and dissipate the energy along the barrier itself, sparing the vehicle and driver from much of the impact. In addition, the barrier doesn't lose its appearance or robustness after the impact and simply regains its original shape.

In the past, lower warehouse racking used to take up hundreds of metres, but now stocks are stacked really high. Five, ten ... even fifteen shelves high! Large factories such as Amazon hold millions worth of stock in their warehouses. Any worker working at height is at obvious risk of falling, so the appropriate measures must be taken.

And if something does happen, you want to limit damage. Products such as FLEX IMPACT® rack protection and universal size rack protection protect your stock or equipment against damage. They avoid accidents, such as a collapsing racks. Other products, such as the Single or Double Axes Gate and HD Mezza handrails, give workers at height that much-needed protection if they trip or slip.

Bear with us on this one, it’s not as outrageous as it may sound! Pedestrians in the workplace are a risk that all vehicle drivers have to take into consideration. However, pedestrians themselves have to be aware of the hazards around them too, including vehicles. That’s why our flexible safety barriers don’t just benefit drivers or your vehicles. They benefits your pedestrian workers as well. If they are properly informed, they know that when they see a safety barrier nearby, they are in an area where they should look out for vehicles. Other basic measures such as bright lighting and high-vis clothing are also important in the fight against workplace accidents.

Another useful product to consider is the XTRA GRIP stair treads. These fit all types of stairs in your warehouses and prevent trips and falls. They are especially useful when your employees carry stock items when walking up the stairs. These may seem like small things, but when it comes to worker safety, hey are anything but.

Again, this may seem far-fetched, but poor housekeeping is a major cause of pedestrian trips and falls and is a danger to vehicles. Floor marking tape alone is not enough to enforce where goods can or can't be parked. If a forklift inadvertently blocks fire doors or an emergency exit, this is a serious threat to everyone's safety in case of fire. Another example of fire safety negligence is stacking stock so high that it obstructs the sprinkler system. In worst-case scenarios, such mistakes have very damaging consequences.

Good housekeeping doesn’t just apply to emergency exits. Poor hygiene in toilets and kitchens can also cause serious problems, such as bacteria build up and pest infestations. Warehouse cleanliness is just as important as warehouse safety. No one likes to work in a place that is unhygienic.

Instead of relying solely on the cleaning staff to maintain hygiene standards at work, everyone should take some of the responsibility and clean up their own mess. We realise this is not the best job in the world, but it is essential.

Let's face it, unless you are a librarian, there is bound to be some noise in your work environment. Whether it is the tapping on a keyboard or the beeps of reversing vehicles, noise is everywhere. Sometimes the noise is so loud that there is a risk of hearing damage. Simple measures like hearing protectors guarantee that your employees can still hear the radio on the way home from work.

Noise sometimes acts as a warning, of course. If your employees can hear the dangers around them, it helps to prevent accidents. For example, the reversing beep of a forklift makes workers pay attention as they walk through the warehouse. Of course, you can also give your workers a helping hand and install a flexible safety barrier that also emits its own signal. If vehicle manoeuvres are clearly indicated in certain areas, pedestrians will pay more attention.

We’re not saying that every single electrical cable is a hazard, but extension cords are quite hazardous if not securely placed out the way of pedestrian workers and vehicles. This tends to be a problem during the winter period, where companies like to get into the festive mood with Christmas lights. As much as you like to bring some festive cheer to the workplace, you can do this in a safe and secure matter. Wayward cables and loose plugs are just a handful of hazards waiting to be tripped over or stood on. Ever stood on a piece of Lego? It’s déjà vu waiting to happen!

Where possible, keep electrical cables to the side and secured safely to avoid them getting in the way. If they do need to be on the floor, especially cables, ensure that they are taped properly to the floor and there is a clear warning about cables within the workplace.

We can go on forever about hazards in the workplace but arguably the biggest hazard of them all is the lack of a health and safety policy. If there is no adequate health and safety policy with easy access to information and resources such as first aid kits, you are asking for trouble.

Every company is different and so every health and safety policy will be different, but there are some general rules that apply everywhere. Make sure you meet the legal obligations.