Safety Mashup: General Safety Tips for Warehouse Workers — Sometimes it helps to get a refresher on the basics of safety in the warehouse. It doesn’t take long to feel like you’re going through the motions mechanically – especially if your job requires a lot of repetition. Before you know it, that “one little shortcut” you were taking becomes habit, and maybe you add another one and then… you’ve taken on some bad habits. So here is a safety tip mashup to help get you back in shape!
Keep these general warehouse safety tips in mind
When opening boxes, cut away from your body.
Do a workstation check before you start working. Look for broken equipment, missing tools, and trip hazards.
Dispose of trash immediately to eliminate trip hazards in your workstation.
Always wear gloves when performing tasks with your hands.
Never lean or sit on conveyor belts—whether they are moving or not.
Always keep your hair above your shoulders.
Remove all pallets and debris fragments before stowing product/supplies in a new location.
Hang up your fall protection harness at the end of each shift.
Stop at the end of every aisle and look both ways before exiting into the main powered industrial truck equipment (PIT) lane.
Do not eat or drink while operating PIT equipment.
Maintain five points of contact while operating PIT equipment.
SAFETY MASHUP
If a piece of equipment suddenly stops working, do not try to repair it unless you are trained to do so and have turned the power source off.
When lifting a heavy object, lift it with your legs instead of your back.
Pick up pieces of broken pallets and dispose of them in a designated receptacle.
Use a visibility light while stacking a trailer.
Put heavy items on the bottom of a stack and lighter items on the top.
Wear safety shoes to prevent foot injuries caused by heavy objects.
Before stepping onto the warehouse floor, make sure you have a high visibility vest on.
Walk only on designated pedestrian pathways. Don’t walk between aisles or in PIT lanes unless you can block off the area with traffic cones.
SAFETY MASHUP: GENERAL SAFETY TIPS FOR WAREHOUSE WORKERS
Secure all boxes with enough tape—making sure to distribute the weight of the contents evenly.
Always use a step ladder when reaching for items above eye level.
Keep all body parts, including hair and nails, out of conveyor rollers.
Request a team lift when you can’t safely lift an item on your own.
If you come across an unidentified substance, notify the safety team, and make sure no one touches it.
Don’t wear loose clothing in the warehouse, as it can get stuck in machinery.
Use “heavy” labels when appropriate so that workers downstream can safely lift the item.
Keep your eyes on your walking or driving path at all times.
Final thoughts
It’s good to take a review of general safety tips for warehouse workers, no matter how long you’ve been on the job. It’s so much easier to do the right thing the first time rather than accidently destroy property or cause harm to a coworker or yourself. Did this safety mashup remind you of anything?
You can read more about warehouse safety from OSHA’s Hazards and Solutions page.
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