Warehouse safety with heavy mechanized equipment affects everyone. There are between 35,000 and 62,000 injuries each year involving forklifts alone. In 2021, injuries in warehouse jobs were rising. The pressure to do more with less staff has created a situation where it’s easier to cut corners around issues of safety. For the health and safety of you and your team, though, follow all warehouse safety tips; especially those rules for operating heavy equipment. Here's what you should know.
Vehicle Safety in a Warehouse Setting
Forklifts are the primary mechanized vehicle found in warehouses these days. Accidents can happen from overloading the lift or falling off a dock. You can hit an unaware bystander—and many other types of safety issues. Some of the best safety rules we’ve seen to protect you and your coworkers include:
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Only allow fully trained operators to run a forklift even for short distances. No one under 18 should operate a forklift.
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Follow the five-mph speed limit and your employer should post signs to remind all warehouse forklift operators to follow the rules.
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Wear a seatbelt when operating the lift. Always. Even for short distances.
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Use a spotter when you’re backing up to keep everyone a little safer.
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Increase visibility by installing side mirrors on the forklift and aisle mirrors in the warehouse. Train your teams to look both ways when exiting an aisle.
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Don’t drive a forklift if you have wet or greasy hands or your shoes are slippery. It’s easy to fall without good foot protection. Steel toes are ideal and often mandated on many jobs for a reason.
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Have zero tolerance for breaking these rules. A forklift isn’t a toy. Warehouse teams not only should exercise a great deal of caution around these machines, but they should also be diligent about keeping aisles clear of debris. Reckless driving is not a joke and it could injure or even kill someone.
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Regularly maintain your forklifts and train your drivers to spot check the vehicle every day before using the machine. Check warning lights, tire levels, make sure the seatbelts work well—and so on.
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Signage in the workplace, beyond the posted speed limit, can also remind warehouse workers to look up and around them. Situational awareness in an industrial setting is key to avoiding injuries.
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Use the horn when going around corners or when backing up.
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Make sure you’re not overloading the lift or lifting odd-sized materials without the right equipment.
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Never “give a ride” to a coworker. A forklift isn’t a taxi.
Warehouse safety is everyone’s responsibility. Don’t let down your guard because that is exactly when accidents occur. While you may think a workplace safety incident could never happen to you or in your facility, there are thousands of warehouse workers each year that learn the hard way that injuries can happen in an instant in these facilities.
If you’re worried about finding safety-conscious workers, or you’re a warehouse employee in an unsafe environment, talk with the team at People Plus. We specialize in matching top employees with great companies that take care of their workforce. Call on us—we can help.
