Susy Keating, managing director of BrandSAFE, considers warehouse safety and how adopting a common sense approach to impact protection equipment keeps people and assets protected.

Safety is paramount when it comes to warehouse and logistics operations. It goes without saying that keeping employees and visitors safe is among the most important factors for those with responsibility for designing and building new facilities or upgrading existing ones. However, it’s still surprising how many accidents still occur.

Making safe decisions can’t be automated. However, adopting a common sense approach has to be a good start point. It places the emphasis on critical safety equipment and systems, which are invaluable assets when integrated into a well-planned and executed strategy.

For example, installing a visual routing system of delineators and chains in your warehouse, specifically designated for handling equipment such as forklifts and a separate one for pedestrian use, will instantly highlight if someone or something is out of place. If the scheme is competent, well thought through and robust, anyone walking into a workplace should be able to see at a glance if there is a problem or hazard.

Adopting these comparatively simple yet effective measures can be relatively inexpensive and are simple-to-understand. Other technologies such as motion sensors, safety gates, guardrails, and other associated equipment can be integrated to augment any routing system that’s in place. A combination of effective safety systems and technology can be essential for a safer workplace when they’re designed to work together. Safety has to be entwined with equipment and design, and can lead to increased efficiencies for warehouse operatives.

It’s always going to be difficult to completely mitigate dangers in the workplace. However, you can minimise the potential of severe accidents occurring in warehouses with the aid of proactive measures, which include safety barriers, bollard protectors, and speed restrictors.

Warehouse operatives’ physical awareness of their surroundings can diminish as the working day wears on; brought on by fatigue, or perhaps complacency. It’s pivotal that your employees are alert as to where they are and where danger could be lurking.

Reassuring presence

So bearing this in mind, taking a pragmatic approach with the installation of safety barriers can pay dividends. They help to maintain awareness while offering a reassuring presence in an area where it is more than likely a moving vehicle will be present, will encourage people in the warehouse to habitually check their surroundings. The installation of well thought out and properly installed safety barriers, will be a handy asset to have in place when it comes to ensuring your workers remain alert and aware of their surroundings.

Safety barriers and protectors also help reduce the severity of damage – and cost – to both buildings and forklifts and other fleets vehicles in the event of a collision. It only takes a moment’s carelessness by a vehicle operator for an accident to occur, with all the associated ramifications. In the unfortunate event of a collision, a safety barrier can dramatically lower the risk of physical injury and expensive damage.

BrandSAFE

t: 01525 850222

e: sales@brandsafeprotection.com

w: www.brandsafeprotection.com

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