Warehouse Risk Reduction
Thanks to the boom in e-commerce sales, warehouse employment in the United States is at an all-time high. Unfortunately, warehouse workplace injuries continue at an alarming rate, affecting four to five of every 100 workers.
These injuries can take a long-range toll on workers’ health while severely impacting company productivity. Here’s a look at some of the top risk factors behind the most common injuries.
Common Causes of Warehouse Workplace Injuries
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- According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), forklifts are number one on their “hit list” of most frequent safety standard violations. Other moving machinery, such as conveyor belts, creates danger points as well.
- Warehouse work involves almost constant repetitive motions, such as reaching, stretching and lifting. The cumulative effect places significant wear and tear on muscles, tendons and nerve tissues that never has a chance to heal. Doctors often refer to this as cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), and over time it can lead to chronic discomfort and loss of mobility.
- In the short term, physical exertion of maneuvering heavy objects can result in strains, sprains and other musculoskeletal injuries, particularly involving back muscles and vertebrae.
- Falling objects are generally due to improperly stacked materials or faulty shelving and supports. Forklifts can also play a part in these types of injuries, if they are used improperly and cartons fall off the forks.
- Solid ground presents its own forms of danger. Workers may slip on wet floors or trip over obstacles in the aisles, especially if the warehouse is poorly lit. While general maintenance is important, OSHA also has regulations covering guards for wall and floor openings.
- Hazard communication is another one of OSHA’s top safety violations. When dangerous warehouse areas are not visibly marked according to OSHA standards, workers run the risk of electric shock or exposure to toxic substances.
DJ Products: Putting Safety First
Make workplace safety a priority in your company culture. DJ Products features an extensive line of electric tugs, movers and pushers for every application that help reduce common injury risks.
Contact us at 800.686.2651 or use our convenient online chat feature for cheerful assistance from our Sales Engineers.