Warehouse Safety Archives - Page 3 of 3

Warehouse Dock Maintenance Tips

Do your operations grind to a halt whenever a dock suddenly needs critical maintenance? Many dock problems can be prevented with more proactive care, cutting down greatly on the overall costs of your warehousing and logistics facilities, says Modern Materials Handling.

Gary Forger reports that insufficient maintenance accounts for up to 85% of all dock equipment problems. Planned maintenance can prevent much of that while also reducing the frequency of emergency repairs.

Options for Planned Dock Maintenance

Warehousing and logistics managers have multiple options for better planned maintenance:

• Add or appoint an in-house employee

• Partner with dock equipment suppliers to advise in-house staff

• Outsource to a structured dock maintenance program

Tips for Warehouse Dock Maintenance

The first step is to determine how often various components need recommended inspections and maintenance. Some parts need annual care, others should be maintained every 90 days.

In addition to checking for broken or worn-out parts, workers should test for energy leaks that may be costing a fortune.

Keep hydraulics working efficiently with proper fluid levels and lubricate moving parts regularly to prevent small wear-and-tear from becoming major damage or causing a shutdown.

Finally, consider how dock maintenance can improve worker safety. Dock-related injuries are common, resulting in good workers missing days and leading to claims.

On that note, DJ Products has industrial cart movers for the warehousing and logistics industry that can significantly improve your bottom line—through reduced injury risk as well as better productivity. We also have a line of trailer movers for improved safety around dock doors.

Contact DJ Products for more info about material handling solutions for warehousing and logistics.

Knowledge of Hazards Boosts Procedure Changes Making Your Warehouse Safer

Increasing Warehouse Safety

According to the 2015 numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, five out of every 100 warehouse employees were involved in a workplace injury and 75 percent of those cases included lost time or job restrictions. Your company can reduce these numbers by observing some basic on-the-job safety measures.

Proper Forklift Operation

Data from OSHA indicates that approximately 95,000 forklift-related injuries occur each year.

All forklift operators should be 18 and over, fully trained and certified, and periodically evaluated.

Regularly review forklifts for broken parts and other damages.

Make sure operators observe the stated weight limits.

Keep aisles, loading docks and other traffic areas free of congestion.

Make seatbelt use mandatory.

Ensure that operators are protected from open pits and other dangers from covers or guardrails.

Repetitive Motion Activities

Poor form and awkward conditions make repetitive motion tasks, like lifting, another common cause of injuries.

Use power equipment instead of manual lifting whenever possible.

Enforce individual weight-lifting limits and require employees to seek assistance with heavier loads.

Adjust shelves to avoid lifting items from shoulder height or higher.

Keep floors free of debris and clean up spills immediately.

Provide adequate lighting.

Conduct ergonomic training, with instructions such as lifting with the legs and avoiding twisting when carrying items.

Lighten the Load with Industrial Tugs from DJ Products

Our battery-powered industrial tugs reduce the amount of force an employee must use to maneuver a load, and they’re ergonomically designed to eliminate stress on muscles and joints.

Call 800.686.2651 or visit our website to learn how our CartCaddy and other industrial tugs can improve efficiency and reduce injuries in your warehouse.

Safety Assessment May Just Get You an OSHA Paid Dumpster Caddy

Quality Staff Gets You Quality Equipment

Prevention is so critical to worker safety that OSHA has grant money available for ergonomic tools like dumpster moving equipment. Award recipients include non-profit organizations as well as labor unions, private firms, and certain other groups, so it’s possible for your workers to benefit from free safety equipment in almost any kind of workplace.

A Minnesota workman’s compensation insurance consultant’s article describes the availability and process of applying for an OSHA training grant. These funds are available through the Susan Harwood grant program, and there are various other state-level grant programs that can award free ergonomic equipment. Check with your state’s OSHA department (or your province’s OHSA in Canada) for equipment grants.

Get Started on Improving Warehouse Safety

Safety consultant Rob Neisius recently explained his take on training employees about ergonomics: instead of responding to one employee’s request for assistance, go ahead and assume that all of their coworkers could benefit from ergonomics training and equipment.

Neisius recommends asking the whole team for questions, feedback, and input. Follow that up with group training and new tools like dumpster moving equipment or cart caddies, and the organization will benefit from better health and productivity all around.

Then, you can explore a Susan Harwood Grant application. OSHA recommends that you prepare for the application by gathering and organizing information. This grant is more likely to be approved if the request is focused and informed, with a specific plan for implementing the ergonomic equipment and training employees to use it.

Are your employees currently pushing heavy waste containers by hand? If so, go ahead and look into dumpster moving equipment from DJ Products for safe and ergonomic solutions to your industrial safety needs.

Five Best Practices to Increase Warehouse Productivity

Be a Great Manager and Do What’s Best for Your Workers.

To get the most from your warehouse operation and remain competitive, you must constantly look for ways to increase efficiency with minimum costs. Best practices vary by industry, but these five tips can help you improve productivity and save money by minimizing the risk of injury to your workers.

1. Organization is crucial

When your warehouse is divided into zones, it simplifies the process of picking and reslotting. You can better manage workflow and more easily spot areas that need improvement.

2. Automate when possible

Innovations in technology make automation more affordable. Stay current with advancements for your industry and invest in applications that will provide the best ROI. Our motorized industrial carts and industrial tugs make each of your employees more productive and minimize the risks of personal injuries and product damage.

3. Optimal lighting for optimal efficiency

The amount of light needed varies according to the task being done. Poor lighting will affect the quality of work and can lead to accidents or health hazards like eye strain and headaches.

4. Cycle counting for inventory control

You can improve the overall operation of your warehouse with a cycle counting process. Do it every day to ensure accuracy and better inventory control.

5. Maintain employee comfort

Studies show that productivity improves when employees know their managers and company care about them. Our industrial tugs make it easier and safer to move heavy products in tight spaces.

Regardless of the size of your warehouse or your material handling equipment needs, we have the right solution for you. Visit our website to view our wide selection of affordable, battery-powered tugs and pushers.

Warehouse Safety Tips Include a Focus on Education and Ergonomics

Proper Ergonomics can Keep Your Employees Safe, Healthy and Happy

Warehouse management needs safe, repeatable processes in order to reduce injury risks. It’s not enough to rely on brute strength and lumbar belts! This is why warehouses implement proactive changes — from stepping up training protocol to bringing in automated equipment like our industrial tugs.

Educating Workers About Warehouse Safety

Train and frequently remind your workers about the most common warehouse injuries. Key issues for your team to discuss:

• Slips and falls: Messy warehouses cause falls, often when workers carry items and cannot see the ground below.

• Forklift and equipment injuries: Even after training and certificates are obtained for operating heavy machinery, each worker should review instructions periodically.

• Unreported dangers: Workers should have an avenue for reporting hazards like chemical fumes and faulty equipment.

• Untrained staff: Don’t skimp on training or let veteran employees miss safety meetings.

Ergonomics to Prevent Warehouse Injuries

Ergonomics refers to tools and methods that have been designed to suit a task. The more you manage ergonomics, the fewer injuries you can expect.

Warehouse equipment is one obvious area to consider ergonomics. For example, you might see a warehouse worker hunched over while strenuously pushing a wheeled cart. This almost guarantees a back injury. Ergonomic industrial tugs remove most of the physical burden and let the worker stay in a comfortable position.

Lifting techniques can also be designed for ergonomics. Heavy items that get moved should be a few feet off the ground so the worker does not have to bend all the way over repetitively.

Next steps: refresh safety training at your warehouse and bring in motorized industrial tugs for better ergonomics.

Lower Your Risk of Warehouse Injuries with a Focus on Ergonomics

Prevent Warehouse Injuries and Accidents With Ergonomic Equipment

During the course of a typical working day, there are many modern distractions employees are faced with which can cause physical injury. Arm your employees with the knowledge they need to reduce warehouse injuries and accidents by incorporating warehouse ergonomics into their daily work routine.

Remove Warehouse Obstacles

Keeping areas clear of empty boxes and used containers is imperative to prevent injuries caused by slipping and falling.

Importance of Safety Equipment

The number one type of workplace injury is strains and sprains. A lot of these injuries can be prevented with the proper safety equipment available to the employee, such as a back brace, safety harness or equipment that helps them perform their job. Explaining to employees the reasons it is important to use aids will gain employee buy-in and increase overall morale, an important part of reducing employee turnover.

Ergonomic Education

Encourage your employees to learn about ergonomics. By definition, ergonomics is the applied science of workplace equipment design in order to reduce discomfort and fatigue. Having the right industrial equipment available that can move equipment or machinery is safer than an employee trying to manually move or push heavy equipment and risk straining muscles.

Incorporating Warehouse Ergonomics

In order to begin incorporating ergonomics, review the layout of your warehouse, the number of employees and available equipment and machinery. Specialists trained in ergonomics will be able to assist you in choosing the right equipment for your specific work layout.

DJ Products like this CartCaddy Shorty help to reduce employee injuries and workers comp claims. Check out our complete inventory of cart pullers and waste caddies today.

How to Recognize Ergonomic Hazards Experienced by Your Maintenance Staff

Are Your Workers Moving Naturally and Comfortably Performing Their Tasks?

You don’t need a medical degree to predict worker injuries caused by poor ergonomics. Watch your maintenance staff perform common tasks to see if they look comfortable and move naturally. If their daily chores put them in awkward physical positions or require repeated motions, it’s worth talking about better ergonomic tools and techniques.

The three biggest risk factors for maintenance staff injuries, according to Ergonomics Plus:

High-effort actions like lifting heavy objects or pushing heavy carts can cause musculoskeletal injuries even in generally strong people. Simple machinery and motorized, automated equipment like dumpster tugs should be preferred.
Awkward stances or motions cause extra stress on the muscles and joints. For maintenance staff, this often includes reaching above the head, bending over, and carrying or pushing items without the ability to hold the arms at a natural position.
Repetitive tasks can build up an injury risk, and the risk worsens if the task requires strength or a non-ergonomic (awkward) position.

Assess Ergonomics for Reduce Worker Injury Risks

Talk to staff and observe their daily duties for signs of the risk factors above. Changes to consider: rotating jobs throughout the day and adjusting or changing equipment to make repetitive tasks easier and more comfortable.

Some aspects of janitorial work simply require too much physical strength to be done safely — like manually pushing a dumpster on wheels across a parking lot or ramp.

Battery-powered equipment like dumpster tugs provide the best injury prevention for the high-force, awkward task of maneuvering a loaded waste container. Contact DJ Products to explore our variety of dumpster tugs and cart pushers that improve ergonomics and productivity.

It’s No Joke, Safety Should Be First in Your Warehouse!

Safety first. This should be the watch word of every industry, regardless of anything else. Your employees should be the most important aspect of your business or industry, and their safety must be paramount above all.

At DJ Products, we pride ourselves on the industrial tugs we make. Certainly, they are the best in the business, but using them to move heavy loads means safety first for your employees. And that’s the bottom line.

Physical Demands

Pulling, pushing and lifting impart a high degree of force on both your skeleton and your muscles. Granted, lifting small boxes or pulling lightweight carts is not that great of a strain, but when you get into moving things like dumpsters, vehicles and even aircraft, you don’t want to strong arm them. Moving large items like those, even with the best manual system, may be an accident waiting to happen.

The DJ Products Ergonomic Load Calculator

If you want to find out what it takes to move objects, use our Ergonomic Load Calculator. You can punch in the required numbers, such as weight, terrain, floor condition and other related factors, and it will give you an idea of the force needed to move a particular object. Knowing these figures will let you know what “safety first” means, up front, no matter what moving job is required.

For more information about the easy and safe ways to move your heavy loads around, or for other industrial cart movers or industrial tugs, please contact DJ Products. We have the easiest and safest moving solutions, like trailer movers or small aircraft tuggers, for any industrial need.

Five Steps to Improve Warehouse Safety

Safety First

What does it look like when a warehouse maximizes safety? Workers using tools and methods that inherently mitigate risk. Task automation perhaps plays the biggest role. Repetitive tasks and high-stress movements both cause workplace injuries. Powered pushers and other material handling solutions take away these strains.

The UK’s health and safety news leaders at SHP Online recommend this 5-point plan to improve warehouse safety:

#1. Ongoing safety practices. When starting a new safety protocol, make sure that the best practices continue over time rather than being a one-time meeting or announcement.

#2. Technology should be used to make operations easier and safer. Use tools to improve posture and lifting technique. Powered pushers reduce the risk of common warehouse injuries to the back and neck.

#3. Study “near misses” to prevent accidents that are likely to recur.

#4. Personal protective equipment (PPE) provides a safety net. Focus more on safe practices for prevention, but also use PPE that employees find comfortable.

#5. Communication should be open and frequent. Conduct regular huddles as opposed to only offering formal complaint and suggestion methods.

Not sure where to start? In many warehouses, the heavy carts carrying inventory or equipment create the biggest strain on workers. Powered pushers let any employee maneuver thousands of pounds of weight with the push of a button.

Back, shoulder, groin, and other musculoskeletal injuries take a toll on worker health, and those injuries threaten your operating efficiency as well. For more info on powered cart pushers and pullers for warehouses, talk to us at DJProducts.com about our variety of injury-specific warehouse safety tools.

Tag: Warehouse Safety