Insights / Safety & Compliance
4 Essential Warehouse Safety Measures
A quick guide to four key warehouse safety practices covering floor maintenance, hand truck use, lift table operation, and hazardous material storage.
Warehouses can reduce hazards by keeping floors clean and clear, cleaning spills immediately per chemical datasheets, and storing combustible rags in closed containers. When moving items, workers should balance hand truck loads forward and plan safe routes, while only certified operators run lift tables within rated capacity, and hazardous materials should be stored safely with proper drainage and emergency equipment on hand.
Overview
Make sure floors are dry and clean to avoid unnecessary slip and falls,
Keep containers, tools, or other materials out of the way
Store rags with combustible chemicals in closed containers
If there’s a spill, immediately clean it up using chemical datasheets, if necessary. Follow protocol for major or chemical spills including alerting responders
Using hand trucks inside a warehouse is a routine procedure to move large, heavy, and awkward items.
Always balance the load forward to avoid carrying the weight by the handle
Use a planned route to avoid a dangerous area
Only certified operators should operate lift tables.
The operator should not exceed the manufacturer’s load rated capacity
Never use to transport people unless designed for that purpose
All precautions should be considered for drainage to avoid water penetration
Keep in a safe, designated area away from anything that may cause danger such as flammable liquids
Know how to stack and remove containers for the contained substance
Always have emergency equipment available
Workers should wear protective clothing and equipment
Frequently asked
How should spills be handled in a warehouse?
Spills should be cleaned up immediately using chemical datasheets when necessary, following protocol for major or chemical spills, including alerting responders as needed.
What precautions apply when using hand trucks?
Workers should balance the load forward rather than carrying weight by the handle, and use a planned route to avoid dangerous areas within the warehouse.
Who can operate lift tables and what are the rules?
Only certified operators should run lift tables, and they must not exceed the manufacturer’s load rated capacity or use the equipment to transport people unless designed for that purpose.
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