FAQs Facilities Safety

It is imperative for managers to be proactive concerning the safety of employees who work in a warehouse. There are so many different ways a person can get hurt while performing their job. So it is the responsibility of managers to make sure that there are things present that prevent or limit warehouse accidents or if an accident should occur, that there are things at hand that can be used to treat an injured individual.

What follows are answers to frequently asked questions concerning the topic of facilities safety.

Q: What is required to assure that a warehouse is a safe environment in which to work?
A: Assuring safety in a warehouse calls for warehouse managers to understand how

accidents occur and coming up with tools or equipment that prevents or at least limits the possibility of them occurring. For example, there are warehouses in which hazardous chemicals are stored. These warehouses should have emergency washes on hand that can be used to flush out chemicals and irritants from a workman’s eyes.

In addition, fires can occur in a warehouse. It’s been reported that warehouse fires have injured as many as 26,500 people and cause more than $8.5 billion worth of damage a year. Fire prevention products help prevent damage to the facilities and protect workers.

There are tools and equipment like fans and heaters that assure that the warehouse is not too hot or too cold to work in and equipment like lights, ladders, tethered tools and special hand tools that help workers perform their jobs with less chance of injury.

Anti-slip, anti-fatigue, and water-resistant mats help prevent injuries as workers perform their jobs.

Finally, there are signs that warn employees not to go into particular areas of the warehouse due to a possible risk of injury.

Q: What items should a warehouse have to assure that the workforce is well protected?
A: There is a host of items that warehouses should keep on hand including:

· Traffic Cones
· Barricades
· Marker Tape
· Smoking Control items
· Danger Signs
· Entrance and Exit Signs
· Hazard Signs
· Traffic Control Items and Signs
· Fire Safety Signs
· Door Signs
· Safety Stickers
· Pipe Marking
· Signal Flags
· First Aid Kits
· Eyewash Stations
· Burn Treatment Items
· Cabinets for storing hazardous materials
· Fire Extinguishers
· Gas Detectors and Monitors
· Flashlights
· Emergency Lights
· Hazardous Material Spill Kits
· Waste Receptacles
· Hand Sanitizers
· Cleaning Supplies
· Utility Carts that safely carry containers holding dangerous chemicals or other hazardous materials