Top Warehouse Hazards and How to Solve Them

Prevent Warehouse Accidents
Prevent Warehouse Accidents

Injuries may seem like just another part of the job at warehouses, but in most cases it doesn’t have to be that way! Proper training, tools, and technique help avoid what the folks at Premier Handling Solutions have identified as some of the top warehouse safety hazards:

• Slips & Falls: Use guardrails and non-slip floor pads. Train workers to know that most warehouse slips don’t happen because of spilled liquid, and they don’t need to be working at height to fall — debris and awkward maneuvering often lead to slips and falls.

• Equipment Danger: Workers get comfortable with their tools, but everyone should remain aware that heavy machinery must be handled carefully. Use button-operated industrial tugs with brakes and other automated equipment that is easy to control.

• Lifting, Reaching, Carrying: Carrying and moving items causes musculoskeletal stress — especially when performed repetitively. Learn proper lifting techniques and design tasks to avoid awkward movements like grabbing heavy items from above shoulder level. Use motorized equipment rather than manual push carts.

• Lack of Safety Protocol: Employees should have tools and knowledge to help deal with fires, hazardous waste, and other emergency situations. Hold meetings regularly and post signs with important info in easy-to-see locations.

These hazards can all be minimized with smart planning, regular training, and tools that reduce the physical risks of warehouse jobs.

Our industrial tugs can be used to move tons of weight, including customized solutions for parts, pallets, lumber, or towing other equipment. Our tuggers and cart pullers are operated with a push of a button — starting, stopping, and maneuvering easily to prevent many of the biggest hazards in the warehouse.

Hiring Seasonal Staff? Find Out What the Feds Say You Should Know

two shipping and warehouse worker portrait in workplace
Tips for Keeping Hiring Season Staff.

Hiring seasonal staff is beneficial to your business and helps many people by providing them some extra money for holiday expenses or vacations. To avoid problems and ensure the hiring and utilization of your seasonal workforce goes smoothly, keep the following Warehouse Management Tips in mind.

They are covered by the same laws

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes it very clear that seasonal workers have equal protection from harassment and discrimination. They are entitled to the same workplace safety and health standards of any other employee. To minimize the risk of workplace injury, keep user-friendly cart movers available for maneuvering heavy objects and bulky material.

Keep job descriptions and training current

Your customers expect the same quality, regardless of whether the work is done by a seasonal staff member or someone who has been with your company for many years. You will prevent most potential problems by having ergonomic cart movers,  providing proper training for the newly hired workforce, and by ensuring they have a thorough understanding of their job.

Independent contractors

These self-employed individuals often have the desired experience you need. You do not have to pay unemployment taxes or withhold taxes, Medicare, and Social Security. You can, however, determine what hours they will work. Visit the SBA website for some more Warehouse Management Tips on hiring independent contractors and more information on your legal obligations.

Industrial equipment from DJ Products will improve productivity without significantly increasing your operating cost. Call  800.686.2651 to speak with one of our courteous and knowledgeable Sales Engineers. They will help you determine the safest and most economical material handling solutions for your particular business.

Long Holiday Hours Mean Managers Need to Build Morale

Manager In Warehouse Checking Boxes
Get Ready for Long Holiday Season Hours!

Are your employees whistling while they work — or groaning in dissatisfaction? If the holiday season means longer hours, more overtime, or extra night and weekend shifts, it’s time to focus on ways to increase morale. Staff productivity and supply chain efficiency depend on it.

Warehouse managers need to be aware that increased workloads over the holidays can exacerbate the potential of warehouse labor to experience a loss of morale:

  • Long hours make workers feel like the business profits at the expense of their well-being
  • Physical exhaustion and short sleep lead to productivity loss, irritability, and general unhappiness
  • The potential of flare-ups increases between managers and employees, and among employees
  • Busy seasons may prevent managers from finding the time to show appreciation for workers

All of these problems can exist year round, but the holiday season holds its particular challenges. Nobody wants to feel overworked and under-appreciated during this time of year!

Build Morale to Plow Through the Holidays

The flip side, fortunately, is that you can build morale to make the holiday workload feel like a team effort and a team victory.

Invest in snacks and refreshments and ensure that everybody gets an appropriate amount of break time. It’s really true that workers can get more done over the course of a shift with short breaks sprinkled in.

You can also ease the physical burden of strenuous tasks with advanced material handling equipment. Our self-propelled warehouse tugs relieve the back-breaking work of pushing and pulling supply or inventory carts.

To keep your employees happy and working hard, contact us at DJProducts.com to discuss warehouse tugs and industrial cart movers.

Four Tips to Improve Your Warehouse Efficiency

Manager in Lumber Warehouse Holding Clipboard
Improve Your Warehouse Efficiency with These Tips.

Do you believe you have to implement major changes to improve efficiency in your warehouse? As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Attention to seemingly minor steps will pay huge dividends in the bottom line. These warehouse management tips include four areas you can improve with just a bit of tweaking.

1. Always double-check orders

Even the best employees will occasionally make mistakes. The average cost of resending an order is more than double the amount of sending the original order. Can your company absorb these repeated expenses? Set a policy that all orders must be double-checked before leaving the warehouse.

2. Don’t forget the housekeeping

Look around your warehouse. Are you proud of its appearance, or is it cluttered and disorganized? It’s difficult for your employees to work quickly if they have to search for pick tickets, supplies or other necessary items. Establish a standing time each week to spend an hour or two cleaning the warehouse. 

3. Stay organized

Keeping the warehouse clean will be easier when employees take the time to maintain order with items that are frequently used. Having a home for everything reduces waste and makes optimum use of available space.

4. Have your senior employees walk the floor

It’s always helpful to have some fresh eyes look at the operation. “Outsiders” are more likely to spot a problem that has become ingrained in daily activities.

One of the best warehouse management tips is to provide safe and effective material handling solutions like our CartCaddy5WP. Contact us to learn more about how Team Cart Caddy can help improve your warehouse efficiency.

 

A Happy Warehouse Staff Is a Productive Staff

Warehouse worker loading up a pallet in a large warehouse
Keep Your Staff Happy to Boost Productivity in Your Warehouse.

Does your staff feel appreciated and valued? A happy staff is truly a productive one, and you can help ensure loyalty and boost motivation with the proper warehouse management tips and procedures.

How can you pep-up productivity and pleasure?

  • Take the time to train and they’ll be moving in the fast lane. Are your staccato training methods resulting in costly mistakes? Forcing staff into roles before they are ready is a surefire motivation murderer. Don’t throw new employees to the wolves. Invest the time in proper training essentials for the ultimate payoff.
  • Show your listening – prevent boos and hissing. Answering questions and acting on employee suggestions can not only spotlight and correct recurring issues, but offer a highly effective way of showcasing your team spirit. Your employees are in the thick of it, and may offer creative solutions you may not have considered.
  • If they pick and pack, make sure they relax. Productivity is essential to the distribution process, and exhausted, burnt out workers are anything but. It may initially seem counter-intuitive, but your pick and pack staff needs relaxation time off of their feet and away from the pressures of filling orders. Give your staff this opportunity. It will reduce pressure and errors as well as refresh them – body and spirit!
  • Keep ‘em keen by sharing some green. Bonus holidays and cash incentives will ensure a well-oiled warehouse team who happily aims for accuracy targets they know will pay off, double-checking orders and volunteering for overtime.

Looking for warehouse management tips that make a difference? DJ Products has you covered. Learn how to get your product moving today!