New Mexico Warehouse Safety Strategies Your Business Needs to Know

New Mexico warehouse safety is perhaps the greatest concern looked at by warehouse employees and managers. This concern comes from warehouse laborers suffering from numerous wounds, injuries, and fatalities, with approximately 19 fatalities occurring each year nationally (2015-2018). These incidents can be prevented to a great extent if warehouse safety is prioritized overwork.

The most common injuries sustained by workers and the strategies to prevent them are discussed here:

Common Work-related Injuries

• Equipment Accidents

Weighty equipment, for example, forklifts are the main source of wounds, and some of the time fatalities, in the workplace. There is a great risk for workers that they might get hit by heavy machinery or tumbling from a raised stage. These mishaps for the most part occur because a warehouse is mostly overcrowded, deficient safety planning, or just by some coincidence

• Slips and Falls

Most of the injuries in the warehouse include slips, excursions, and falls. The reason for such occurrences can be dangerous or slippery floors and the collection of trash, residue, oil, or ropes lying in working regions. Slips and falls represent 33% of injuries sustained in the work environment. The injuries mostly caused by these incidents are neck, head, and back injuries, cuts, fractures, pulled and strained muscles.

• Chemical exposure

A lot of dangerous chemicals are stored and used in a warehouse. Sadly, accidental spills are not easily prevented. These spills can pose a serious threat to the safety of employees.

• Injury by Falling Objects

There is consistently a great danger of stacked things tumbling from the racks anytime. These kinds of wounds are brought about by human error and incompetent workplace setups.

• Entanglement in a machine

It is the most fatal injury in a warehouse. It happens when an employee intertwines with heavy machinery while working. Mishaps can happen to anybody working with large equipment despite the fact that they are more normal in factories. when body parts entangle in uncovered moving parts of machines without defensive guards, can result in a dangerous situation. Equipment-related injuries include squashed hands and arms, cut-off fingers, and visual impairment.

• Fire

Blasts and fires in the working environment are brought about by factors, for example, flawed gas lines, inappropriately stored ignitable materials, or open blazes. The injuries caused by these can result in compromised breathing and damaged respiratory system and burns.

• Musculoskeletal injuries

The most expensive workplace injuries are musculoskeletal injuries. For instance, back pain can cause 100 million absents from work annually which decreases productivity and outcome. The most common causes of repetitive stress injuries are not taking breaks between work, working in an awkward posture, and lifting heavy objects.

Warehouse Safety Strategies

• Ensure usage of Safety Equipment

It is very important to use safety equipment such as hydraulic lifts and other equipment for lifting heavy objects to protect the workers from sustaining injuries particularly back injuries

• Eliminate Potential Safety Hazards

Floors of the workplace should be dry and slip-free. Staff should focus on the importance of maintaining good housekeeping. Managers should make sure the regular checks on cracks, debris, liquids, ropes on the floor. If care is not taken, it may cause injuries to employees and damage industrial equipment.

• Identify Hazardous Zone

Signs boards are the most effective method of protecting employees from hazardous situations. Marking racks, machinery and materials can protect laborers from injuries. The exit passages should be clearly visible, and workers should be made aware of this fact.

• Proper Training and Courses

Staff should be provided with proper safety guidelines about work. Workshops and training sessions should be arranged to teach the workers how they can protect themselves in their working environment. Proper training programs are necessary to update workers about unsafe work practices. They should be informed about the consequences of carelessness in work.

• Proper Clothing

Workers should be taught to avoid loose clothing as it can cause injury by sticking in machinery. They should be taught the importance of protective clothing like helmets, gloves, masks. This is very important in ensuring the safety of workers.

• Shelving Safety

It is important to know the durability and capacity of a shelf or rack. Materials in the rack should be properly stacked for effective working. This also saves time and prevent workers from getting injured.

• Vehicle Safety

Safety of vehicles is essential while working with lift trucks or other vehicles. Workers should have proper guidelines and training about the usage and speed limits. There should be strict rules and regulations for reckless driving.

• Fire Safety Drills

There should be safety drills at regular intervals to ensure the proper working of emergency plans. Smoke alarms should be tested. All emergency equipment should be regularly tested and kept in good working condition. Installing emergency lights will be very beneficial for safe evacuation.

• Ventilate

Good ventilation is an integral part of a good warehouse. Inadequate air circulation can be dangerous for the safety of employers as it can lead to the accumulation of fumes in the warehouse. Exhaust fans can help in ventilation.

• Storage

Your warehouse is sure to be full of stock and other items. Such products must be stored safely. Improper storage can damage the stock, but it can also harm your employees. Inappropriate storage can harm the stock as well as employers. Inappropriately stacked items can fall resulting in damage. Packing the items in smaller stacks also reduces the danger of damage.

• Cleanliness

A well-kept and clean warehouse is a more secure workplace. By keeping your work area clean, there’s less danger of slip. Everything should be in its place. If in case the liquid is spilled on the floor it should be cleaned before anything else.

• Equipment

All equipment should be kept in good working condition. Built-in equipment works all the time and should be checked at regular intervals. Staff should be aware of emergency exits and emergency tools. Equipment safety is vital for workers

• Regular Inspection

it’s significant that you consistently investigate your warehouse for any problem. Regular inspections give you an idea of what equipment needs restoration. Some equipment may become worn out and needs immediate replacement.