Many talented workers are searching for jobs hiring in Allentown, PA, and they — rightfully so — expect to end their shift in the same physical condition in which they started. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to make your warehouse a safe space for them.
Creating a safe and healthy work environment requires constant attention. A warehouse is a busy place filled with possible safety hazards, so you have to stay on top of them at all times.
Tragically, 5,190 workers were killed on the job in 2016, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Additionally, private industry employers reported approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2016, as per data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Learn more about hazards often found in warehouses, so you can do everything possible to keep your team safe.
Warehouse Hazards — and How to Avoid Them
OSHA lists the following as potential safety risks in warehouses, so make sure they’re on your radar:
- Improper use of forklifts
- Incorrect product stacking
- Failure to use correct personal protective equipment
- Failure to adhere to appropriate lockout/tagout procedures
- Improper fire safety supplies
- Repetitive motion injuries
Prevention is the best way to avoid warehouse illnesses and injuries. OSHA recommends taking these general safety measures to keep your team safe.
- Block exposed or open loading dock doors and other areas where workers could fall 4 feet or more.
- Keep floors and aisles clear of clutter, electrical cords, hoses, spills and other hazards, so workers don’t slip, trip or fall.
- Ensure safe practices are factored in when calculating the amount of time it will take for an employee to complete a task.
- Provide employees performing physical work with regular breaks, so they don’t become fatigued, as this will decrease their quality of work and increase their risk of accidents.
- All new team members must participate in general ergonomics training and training specific to the tasks they’ll be performing.
- Make sure your warehouse is properly ventilated.
- Educate employees on ways to work safely in both hot and cold environments.
- Create lockout/tagout procedures for your warehouse.
Need a little help finding skilled warehouse workers? HTSS, Inc. is here to connect you with hardworking candidates who share your commitment to safety. Contact us today to fill your team with top temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire talent!