Accidents are bound to happen within the warehouse, but there are plenty of things that you – as the company owner – can do to reduce the risk of damage occurring to products. A new warehouse racking system, for example, can go a long way in ensuring your warehouse is functional and future-proof. It is estimated that approximately 1% of warehouse stock is wasted due to impairment every year. This figure may sound minimal and one that can be brushed off however, this small percentage means item damages causes just over £36 billion of waste worldwide. BiGDUG has put together four important practical steps to take within your warehouse to keep damage levels low and in return, improve profits and the safety of your staff.
Reorganise your warehouse
Optimising your warehouse racking system boosts efficiency within the storehouse and lowers the risk of potential injury to produce and employees. With a superior racking system, you can ensure that your warehouse functions optimally in terms of both organisation and function. Not only this, but improving the layout within the building by using the ABC Analysis or ordering stations through the incorporation of SKUs (such as most popular items, colour, and brand) will guarantee that forklifts and staff are not crossing paths unnecessarily. The lack of contact between operators and machinery means that there won’t be clashes or potential accidents; for example, forklifts hitting racks and stock due to needing to squeeze down the aisles within the warehouse. Additionally, placing tape or lines on the floor to guide how forklifts and staff should move around the warehouse will further reduce the opportunity for collisions.
Another piece of advice to consider when reorganising the warehouse is to keep heavier products as close to the front of the building as your floor plan allows. Placing the higher-weighing stock at the front of the warehouse decreases the handling time of each item. This will have a positive effect on reducing the number of products that staff drop or fall from forklifts due to the weight being more than the piece of the machinery can handle.
Introduce Racking Protectors
There are essential pieces of equipment available for warehouses to purchase to protect your warehouse racking from injury. Forklifts are one of the most dangerous forms of workplace transport. On forklift accident could bring down entire shelving or racking systems which can put your staff and stock in incredible danger. Investing in equipment such as column and rack protectors, aisle shields, wire decking for racks, and support bars is an extra cost that will pay off in the long run. Not only that, but it will also increase productivity and improve morale with employees feeling safe and not having to be careful with every task.
Ensure Pallets are Stacked Correctly
Column Stacking has recently been discovered as the best method to take when stacking and organising products on pallets. This tactic is when all cartons are stacked on top of one another, this ensures maximum safety and security of the stock. Column stacking reduces the amount of space between packages, which in turn lowers the chance of parcels slipping or crushing one another during transit. Organising your pallets more effectively produces less product overhang – this applies to racking and shelving systems as well – less stock hanging over the edges of pallets or racks causes fewer items to fall naturally from the rack/pallet, during transport or replenishments.
Review Existing Carriers
After taking such vigilant care with your warehouse racking and stock, the last thing you want is for the carrier you choose to throw packages around or cause damage by mishandling them. Finding the right carrier company which you are happy with can be a long and infuriating job, but it is well worth all the frustration. Finding a company whose services keep your packages protected and treat them with respect after leaving the warehouse will have a beneficial impact on your warehouse; lowering complaints from your consumers and less money spent on waste products that need replacing. Although, you can never be too careful when packaging products, using message tape to note to carriers which packages are fragile will give you that extra peace of mind that your products are being handled correctly.
To wrap things up…
It is a near-impossible task to get the damage of your products to 0% because unexpected accidents happen; the machinery can malfunction, and trucks can break down. However, the steps given in this blog will help significantly lower the risk of other, unnecessary harm being caused to your stock. Having experienced staff working in a logically designed and tidy warehouse, equipped with the optimal warehouse racking system, will ensure a high rate of success and low injury. If you are interested in any products mentioned in this blog, shop online now at bigdug.co.uk
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