Five Common Ergonomic Warehouse Hazards & How to Prevent Them
Your employees perform many tasks throughout their day that can result in strains, sprains, and other serious injuries. Therefore, anything you can do to help avoid warehouse injuries or decrease the risk of injury for warehouse workers is beneficial.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of ergonomic warehouse equipment as well as a few tips on how to prevent employee injuries.
1. Using Improper Lifting Techniques
If your employees use the wrong techniques while lifting, it can result in costly injuries and decrease your overall productivity. Therefore, it’s important to make sure your workers follow the proper safety rules for warehouses each time they lift. That way, they can avoid several common warehouse accidents and injuries.
Another valuable investment you can make to protect your employees is purchasing ergonomic material handling equipment. When your workers use machines such as adjustable lift tables for warehouses, or they work together to lift loads that are too large to carry manually, the chance of injuries is greatly reduced.
2. Repetitive Twisting and Reaching
In addition to lifting incorrectly, your warehouse workers can also get hurt from twisting and reaching as well. Therefore, you should consider installing ergonomic tilt tables or pallet rotators to assist in repositioning loads. Using carts, hand trucks, or conveyors can help ease product movement. These additions to your warehouse can help limit the amount of unnecessary twisting and reaching movements your employees must do.
Additionally, make sure to discuss proper ergonomic lifting techniques with your staff. For example, you should encourage them to keep their bodies aligned with whatever they are reaching for to ensure that their body posture remains neutral.
3. Fall Accidents
Falls are some of the most common and dangerous accidents that happen in workplaces today. So, managers need to take precautions, like installing fall protection systems that operators can tie off to and installing safety gates at all exposed elevated surfaces. Additionally, installing barrier rails can stop falling accidents before they even happen. Be sure to survey your warehouse, find areas where falls are most likely to occur, and take the appropriate actions so that your workers stay safe.
4. Cluttered Aisles and Floors
Whenever equipment, materials, or other debris are left lying around your warehouse aisles and floors, your workers could inadvertently slip or trip. Water, chemical spills, dust, electrical cords, and clutter in warehouse walkways are all potential hazards.
Therefore, to help avoid slip and trip injuries, keep your floors and aisles tidy. Cover exposed equipment wires and hoses with protectors, and make sure to keep your work areas well-lit so hazards are easier to spot.
5. Equipment Injuries
Companies often purchase equipment to assist in reducing workplace injuries. However, the same machines that are supposed to protect your employees may end up posing new safety concerns and risks. That’s why warehouse equipment training is an important step to take to avoid potential accidents and injuries. In addition to appropriate training, you should also make sure that your employees wear proper safety gear (such as helmets and goggles) while working.
Keeping your employees safe from warehouse hazards is an ongoing process. But by taking the steps and precautions listed above, you can decrease common ergonomic risk factors and maintain a safe working environment.
If you are looking for ergonomic warehouse equipment for sale in CT, A-Lined Handling Systems can help you find what you need. For more information about our products, please contact us today.