Moving product quickly and efficiently is a top priority for most warehouses. Speed is key for optimizing profit, but fast throughput is meaningless if it comes at the expense of your employees’ health and safety. Many common workplace injuries result from a lack of proper ergonomics. This can lead to costly workers compensation claims and lost productivity.
With proper ergonomics training and warehouse design, the majority of workplace accidents are avoidable. Use these tips to implement proper ergonomics in your warehouse operation to ensure your workers remain injury free.
Store materials at the correct height to promote safe lifting
Lifting heavy objects with improper form is a common source of injury. To minimize this risk to your employees, store materials in a manner that promotes proper lifting technique. Ideally, objects that must be lifted should be stored in the zone between a person’s knees and shoulders. Any higher or lower, and the risk of injury is introduced from unnatural bending or reaching.
Heavy items stored below the knee that require workers to bend at the waist are especially prone to causing injuries of the back. To avoid this, use lift equipment like a pallet jack to move materials efficiently and safely when storage at a higher level is not an option.
Like materials that are stored too low, storing things above shoulder height can lead to injury. Moving objects at this height can put a strain on the neck and shoulders. It also creates a risk that the item being moved could fall on the person moving it. To avoid a mishap, trained employees should use a forklift or another appropriate piece of lift equipment to reach any materials stored above shoulder height.
Design for safe workflow
The chase for greater efficiency often leads to cramped designs in today’s warehouses. With workers and equipment working at a fast pace in close quarters, the potential for an accident is high. To prevent un unnecessary incident, design your warehouse with plenty of space for workers and equipment to pass each other smoothly. Maintain clear lines of sight and be sure that forklift operators signal properly when emerging from blind corners.
Many warehouses are turning to automation to take safety to the next level. Many tasks like order picking can be completed or enhanced by robotics. Picking with a machine frees you to place inventory in places that would be awkward or unsafe for a human worker to access. Though the cost of entry for robotics can be steep, this solution greatly increases productivity while all but eliminating many common injury risks.
Investing in an ergonomically friendly warehouse design can pay off in the long-term safety these improvements provide to your workforce. Contact us today to learn how an automated system from UMD can enhance the workflow in your warehouse.