Keeping everyone at your warehouse safe is vitally important. Employees are generally trained and equipped for safety, but employees are often not the only people present in the workplace. What about visitors?
They may be unfamiliar with many of the hazards they could encounter, but even just walking around can be dangerous. According to government statistics, slip, trip or fall accidents accounted for the most non-fatal workplace injuries - 29%. What can you do to help keep warehouse visitors safe?
Preparation and information
Visitors should receive a short briefing before entering an operations area. Establishing a visitor safety procedure and orientation helps protect the safety of anyone entering the workplace. The purpose of this orientation is to give you some basic information you need as you tour our plants. They may need to be inspected for loose clothing, long hair, or dangling accessories, which may become entangled in machinery. Visitors should sign in when entering the facility. This log would help account for visitors in the event of an emergency evacuation.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Any necessary personal protective equipment, such as hard hats, protective gloves, high-visibility clothing, eye or ear protection, or footwear, should be provided before entering the workplace. Many warehouses offer visitor safety stations. These may include compartments for any necessary PPE, in various sizes, details indicating what is mandatory equipment, as well as signage listing any important safety messages.
The type of PPE needed will be determined by a detailed assessment of workplace risks. The assessment should be reviewed and updated regularly, since conditions and procedures change. This includes updating the PPE required for visitors. In healthcare settings, workers often require single-use or disposable PPE, such as coveralls or gloves. Many jobs, particularly those in food service or health care, have a high slip-and-fall risk. They need to wear shoes with anti-slip soles.
Providing PPE for employees, who use it regularly, is relatively easy. Providing PPE for visitors can be more challenging. For example, footwear must be not only appropriate for the risks presented by the workplace, it must also fit properly and should be hygienic. Protective overshoes, such as those made by Tiger Grip provide the necessary protection, are available in packs and in a range of assorted sizes.
Workplace Guide
Despite careful briefing, it is impossible for visitors to have the experience, knowledge of the workplace, and depth of safety training that employees have. Visitors, therefore, should be accompanied by a guide when in the workplace. The guide can assist visitors, facilitate communications and generally make visits more productive and safe.
These precautions are intended to protect both visitors and employees and need to be adhered to at all times. Providing safety footwear for visitors can be expensive, having one or more of each size available. This is where Tiger Grip overshoes really help. There are only four sizes and they can be used many times. They also allow the visitor to stay in their own shoes, even if they might be wearing high-heels.
It is important that a business create a safe workplace and promote safety as part of their culture. By doing so, they protect everyone, including visitors. If you have questions, please contact us.
Posted 2 May 2020
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