Keeping your warehouse safe should be the top priority for any business owner who is serious about protecting their workers and assets. There are many potential hazards in a warehouse, including fall zones, chemical storage areas, heavy machinery, pallets and mezzanine floors. The good news is that, with the proper planning and equipment, keeping your warehouse safe doesn’t have to be complicated.
Here are five key basic pieces of warehouse safety equipment to protect you and your workers:
- Up and over pallet gates for easy access to mezzanine floors
Moving heavy goods between the mezzanine and ground floor is often one of the most dangerous tasks in any warehouse space. The chance of falls and impact damage from falling objects is a serious concern, which is why having a simple and safe way to transport goods between floors is crucial to warehouses and commercial areas. The up and over pallet safety gate offers a safe and convenient portal to move goods up and down different levels in your warehouse. It works by acting as a barrier between the worker and the lifting mechanism on the lower floor, heavily reducing the chance of falls and accidents.
- Staircases built for safety and convenience
Staircases are an important feature in any warehouse with multiple floors, however, if they are not designed with safety in mind they can be a serious hazard. A properly designed staircase should provide an easy and convenient way to move between floors while reducing the possibility of accidents. That’s why it is advisable for every warehouse staircase to be made with durable material, offer a strong grip for shoes and have a heavy-duty guard rail to prevent falls. Staircases are not only important for day to day use but can offer safe escape routes in case of emergencies. That’s why staircases between floors in warehouses should be made to meet Australian fire safety requirements.
- Pedestrian guards for uninterrupted flow of traffic
Warehouses floors are often used by both pedestrians and heavy-duty machinery such as forklifts. If left unmanaged this can create a dangerous situation for everyone involved, which is why every warehouse serious about employee safety should install pedestrian guards to separate the flow of machine and foot traffic.
- Rack and column safety features to protect against accidents
Racks and structural columns can often withstand a lot of vertical pressure but may be susceptible to impact damage from vehicles such as trucks or forklifts. Having proper rack and column safety features such as guards and impact protection can save both your infrastructure and your vehicles from accidental damage.
- Clearly labelled hazard zones
Planning for accidents is always important, however, preventing them from happening in the first place is even better. There are many potential hazards in a warehouse that you cannot help like chemical storage areas, fall zones and vehicle access routes. Clearly labelling hazard zones and having strict rules about who can go where is one of the best ways to avoid accidents in the warehouse.