7 common risks to your workforce

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

It's essential to ensure your operators are properly trained and legally authorized to operate your vehicles. For added peace of mind, choose our FLEX IMPACT® forklift barriers for better equipment protection. Our flexible safety barriers absorb the shock of collisions and dissipate the energy along the barrier, sparing the vehicle and operator from much of the impact. Additionally, the barrier retains its appearance and robustness after impact, simply returning to its original shape.

In the past, lower warehouse racking used to take up hundreds of meters (meters), but now stocks are stacked very high. Five, ten... even fifteen shelves high! Large factories like Amazon hold millions worth of stock in their warehouses. Any worker working at heights is at a clear risk of falling, so appropriate measures must be taken.

If something does happen, you want to limit the damage. Products like FLEX IMPACT® rack protection and universal size rack protection protect your stock and equipment against damage. They prevent accidents, such as collapsing racks. Other products, like the Single or Double Axes Gate and HD Mezza handrails, provide workers at heights with essential protection if they trip or slip.

Bear with us on this, it’s not as outrageous as it may sound! Pedestrians in the workplace are a risk that all vehicle operators must consider. However, pedestrians themselves must be aware of the hazards around them, including vehicles. That’s why our flexible safety barriers don’t just benefit operators or your vehicles. They benefit your pedestrian workers as well. When properly informed, they know that when they see a safety barrier nearby, they are in an area where they should watch out for vehicles. Other basic measures, such as bright lighting and high-visibility clothing, are also important in preventing workplace accidents.

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

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

Good housekeeping doesn't just apply to emergency exits. Poor hygiene in restrooms and kitchens can also cause serious problems, such as bacteria buildup and pest infestations. Maintaining warehouse cleanliness is just as important as ensuring warehouse safety. No one likes to work in an unhygienic place.

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

Let's face it, unless you're a librarian, there is bound to be some noise in your work environment. Whether it's the tapping on a keyboard or the beeps of reversing vehicles, noise is everywhere. Sometimes the noise is so loud it poses a risk of hearing damage. Simple measures like hearing protectors ensure 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 prevent accidents. For example, the reversing beep of a forklift alerts workers as they walk through the warehouse. You can also assist your workers by installing a flexible safety barrier that emits its own signal. If vehicle maneuvers are clearly indicated in certain areas, pedestrians will pay more attention.

We can go on forever about workplace hazards, but arguably the biggest hazard of all is the lack of a health and safety policy. Without an adequate health and safety policy with easy access to information and resources such as first aid kits, you're asking for trouble.

Every company is different, so every health and safety policy will differ, but some general rules apply everywhere. Ensure you meet the legal obligations.

We can go on forever about workplace hazards, but arguably the biggest hazard of all is the lack of a health and safety policy. Without an adequate health and safety policy with easy access to information and resources such as first aid kits, you're asking for trouble.

Every company is different, so every health and safety policy will differ, but some general rules apply everywhere. Ensure you meet the legal obligations.