Welcome to the Warehouse & Logistics News 2015 ‘The Warehouse’ supplement. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise, the warehousing industry is full of the talented people we need to succeed in a time of change.
In one article in this supplement UKWA’s CEO Peter Ward talks about the changes taking place in the industry, for example in grocery retailing, with its migration from the weekly big shop at a superstore to convenience shopping closer to home. He reckons this will challenge the warehousing industry, in particular UKWA members and the materials handling solution providers who support them. It will call for people with greater communication, organising and planning skills who can adapt to the even more rapid changes that lie ahead, driven by new technology. So perhaps for our dream warehousing talent show we’re looking at something like The Apprentice, with a side order of pallets. ‘Strictly Warehouse,’ maybe?!
We’re all used to seeing celebrity pallet network bosses on our screens in all sorts of guises, including as secret angels coming to the rescue, but there hasn’t yet been a televised logistics talent show. If we did have such a show, health and safety concerns would almost certainly rule out televising forklift operator speed challenges, a high-rise racking ‘It’s A Knockout’ and other TV-friendly activities with an element of jeopardy. It looks like we will have to wait for the launch of ‘I’m a Warehouse Manager – Get me out of here,’ set in the warehouse jungle.
Perhaps someone should make a serious documentary about worthwhile initiatives like the FLTA’s Safer Site Programme, recognising companies making strides towards establishing a self-policing environment where risky behaviour is not tolerated. As reported in this supplement, this year’s FLTA Safer Site Programme winner was Cambridgeshire-based G’s Fresh Beetroot. Which brings us back to the changing face of food logistics that we mentioned earlier. We look forward to reporting how the industry rises to the challenges.
For now, as this supplement points out, all the elements are there for operators to make their warehouses safer places. For example forklift operator training doesn’t result in a ‘licence’ as such, but BITA have developed publications to help training providers and employers with appropriate documentation, including safety best-practice booklets for operators, as well as best practice and legislation guidance notes. In the same breath last year SEMA launched its Code of Practice for the Design and Use of Racking Protection, which the association claims is now the most comprehensive in Europe. Work safely, and work well.
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