Warehouse Safety Checklists

Why is Warehouse Safety important?

Warehouse safety has always been important, but its importance is heightened by increased shipment and storage of hazardous items and the handling of heavy machinery. It is important to establish a proper safety protocol, conduct regular safety training, follow a long-term and short-term housekeeping procedure, and have the proper safety products and equipment.

How are Warehouse Inspections Done?

Warehouse inspection may seem utterly overwhelming, but its importance cannot be argued as it can spell the difference between a safe warehouse operations day and a fatal accident. Fail it and your company could be out thousands of dollars;. Or worse, your hundreds of jobs—or even your business— may suddenly be in jeopardy.
With that, here are 4 key steps you can follow so you can ensure a comprehensive warehouse inspection:

Examine the Warehouse and Identify Opportunities for Improvement

Warehouse inspections are crucial to the prevention of accidents, injuries, and illnesses. An in-depth warehouse walkthrough can help identify and record potential risks for corrective action. With a warehouse audit checklist, you can ensure that you don’t miss inspections of specific areas because you have a comprehensive list of everything that needs to be checked. Complete and accurate inspection data ensure a safe working structure for you and your warehouse staff.

Review Warehouse Safety Program to Know Strengths and Gaps

A smart way to identify strengths and gaps in your warehouse safety program is to put it side by side with best safety practices for warehouse operations by OSHA and international regulatory bodies. Assess the workplace conditions to identify strong areas and duplicate its effects; on the other hand, you should also discover areas that need improvement with regard to compliance and traditional OSHA safety standards or international practices.You can note these findings on the warehouse inspection report and use it as a point of discussion for improvement with the management.

Develop a Strategy to Address Gaps

Remedial action for findings is the key to achieving warehouse safety audit success. Active effort from the management team will help implement changes to get the best results. Develop an action plan that lists all areas that need to be addressed to ensure that all aspects have been considered. This will also ensure the succeeding audits go smoothly. 

Do More Than What Is Necessary

You need to take it up a notch and beyond minimum requirements if you want to  provide the best safety measures for your warehouse employees. There are basic requirements to be met that can protect your workers from injury, and going  beyond these will further develop a positive safety culture in your warehouse in the long-run.

Warehouse Safety Checklists Should Include What Items to Check?

Warehouse safety checklists should ensure that the following are checked:

• Aisles and open areas are clear and open
• Racks should be in good condition
• Fire extinguishers are regularly inspected and in good condition
• Overhead lighting fixtures are working and in good condition
• Loose/unboxed materials are properly stacked
• Derail and/or bumper blocks on spur railroad tracks
• Employees are in PPE when handling chemicals
• There are covers and/or guardrails to protect employees from fall hazards
• Elevators and hoists are used correctly for lifting materials
• Hazardous materials containers are properly labeled
• Dock doors are working properly and closed when not in use
• There is adequate ventilation
• Equipment is in good working condition
• Pest control is effective
• Training and evaluation in place for employees

Efficient Warehouse Safety Inspections with iAuditor by SafetyCulture

Maintaining and using multiple warehouse checklists can be burdensome and unproductive. With the iAuditor mobile safety audit software, warehouse managers can perform paperless warehouse safety assessments using a smartphone or tablet. The warehouse safety app allows you to schedule and conduct your warehouse safety checks using only your mobile device. Additionally, warehouse managers can do the following:

• Build, customize, and easily update warehouse audit checklists
• Schedule and assign regular warehouse safety inspections and know when and where they were completed
• Capture detailed information and review photos taken during inspections
• Quickly act on emergencies and record all actions taken
• Maintain convenient recordkeeping of all warehouse inspections, findings, and corrective actions taken
• Have an overview of the status of multiple warehouse sites using an online dashboard

  To get you started, we’ve collated the most comprehensive warehouse checklists you can use to improve the safety and working conditions of your workers.