Safety in the warehouse: How to avoid accidents in advance
Work in the warehouse is not only logistically complex and physically demanding, it also a highly sensitive area with respect to accident prevention: In-house transport and the storage of some very heavy goods and objects pose a risk that should not be underestimated. In addition,employees on site share tight spaces with all kinds of racks, equipment and vehicles (e.g. stackers, pallet stackers and order picker). In recognition of these facts, the relevant regulations of German Labor Law obligate every company owner or warehouse operator to take precautions within his or her own sphere of responsibility. Non-observance of these specifications can lead to operative interruptions and work stoppages, or even claims for damage and criminal charges.
Possible hazard sources
There are a wide range of potential hazard sources and risk factors in the warehouse that also need to be assessed after taking the local circumstances into account. Typical accident and damage cases above and beyond the individual case also include the following: Collisions with warehouse vehicles; crushing cause by loading and unloading errors; injuries by touching fixed objects (in particular protruding or falling goods) and sharp edges; falls and toppling racks and physical or mental fatigue caused by overwork, time pressure and similar factors. Although the statutory requirements with regard to safety at the workplace are becoming increasingly stringent, statistics show that there are at least several tens of thousands of cases that can be assigned to the above examples. The employer and warehouse responsibles should therefore invest in an extensive safety and prevention concept to safeguard themselves and their employees from these kinds of incidents as best as possible.
Employee-related measures: Health & safety, training and equipment
Accident-related preventive action that impacts on warehouse areas focus on the following different aspects: Firstly, the employees themselves, for whom the employer takes suitable safety precautions. Important pointers are provided by the Load handling Regulation (LasthandhabV), whose regulation object (manual handling of loads) also includes typical warehouse work. It obligates the use of technical aids and the implementation of measures to ensure the health & safety of the employees. Here, the employer must also address topics such as room climate, physical fitness, work speed and adequate rest periods. In addition, reasonable load weights, the posture required to carry out the work, the transport distance and the work height are important criteria in the Regulation.
Professional qualifications and the equipment made available to the employees also play an important role here. Adequate training of the forklift operators is highly relevant for safety in the warehouse. With respect to this, company owners should consult the relevant regulations of the German Social Accident Insurance (specifically: DGUV Principle 308-001 and DGUV Regulation 68 on industrial trucks and their use). Basic and special training in combination with in-depth further training play a direct role in lowering the probability of accidents. As far as other employee equipment is concerned, steps should be taken to ensure that high-quality safety equipment is available (high-vis vests, helmets, safety shoes with steel toe caps, etc.).
Structural and organizational measures: Safety-oriented warehouse design and regular inspections
The second focal point for avoiding accidents is the design of the warehouse structure. Rack safety has a high priority: The load limits of the rack system as specified by the manufacturer must correspond to the operational requirements and be strictly observed during filling. The risk of falling goods can be mitigated by means of certain rack fixtures, for example push-through blocks or rear wall grilles. In addition, rack supports need to be protected against unintentional collisions with warehouse vehicles because impacts of this kind can impair the stability of the entire construction. This is prevented by attaching crash or impact protection elements. The following regulations apply to certain types of rack systems: For instance, this applies to fall protection in high racks or the use of light barriers on mobile racks or in narrow-aisle warehouses.
Other fundamental safety measures can also include the production of workplace-compatible lighting and clear signs in the warehouse area. Pedestrian and traffic routes must be clearly defined and marked out, and their size and quality must correspond to the statutory and in-house requirements. Accordingly, the warehouse floor must be kept clean and free of damage that could impact on traffic and pedestrian safety. The third focal point, next to employee-related and structural measures, is the organizational level: In addition to the sensible organization of work processes and clearly defined codes of conduct (no movement of goods by employees and machines at the same time!), regular inspection of the racks is absolutely essential. This should be carried out at regular intervals by an external specialist or a representative of the manufacturer, and must be documented precisely.