Warehouses help to produce thousands of jobs, and good ones can produce thousands of careers, though not every warehouse is the same. What it’s like to work in a warehouse depends entirely on the warehouse itself.
A Bad Warehouse: A Lack of Racking Safety, A Lack of Planning, and A Lack of Respect
Bad working environments in warehouses are a serious problem in the UK, as this article by Simon Goodley makes clear. In the warehouse he writes about, staff are mistreated, corners are cut, and trust is non-existent. All of this can be both the cause of and the result of bad safety standards.
When employee motivation is low, when they do not care about the company they work for, then they are more inclined to take risks when it comes to safety. Likewise, if there is little safety regulation for employees working long hours in a potentially dangerous situation, this will have a negative effect on their morale.
This is a genuine concern for HSE, which is why they are delivering courses by psychologists on how negative behaviour from employees can increase the danger. In a follow-up course, they are explaining how positive behaviour can create a safer workplace.
If the bad attitudes in a warehouse are not address, then the machinery and pallet racking systems will bear the brunt of it. Soon, you are working in a warehouse that is dangerous through misuse. And once again, the same is true of the employer.
Their bad attitude towards their employees can mean that a warehouse is unsafe because racking safety was not build into the design of the building. This sends a message to employees to ignore racking safety and so the same cycle continues.
A Good Warehouse: Regular Racking Inspections, Racking Inspection Training, and a Respect for Safety and Staff
Regular racking inspections from a SEMA approved racking inspector have two effects. The first is that you can ensure the safety of your pallet racking and the second is that employees feel valued because time and money are being spent on their safety. Employees will return this respect with proper use and, in the long run, a better work rate.
HSE recommend an “expert inspection” from a SEMA approved racking inspector once every 12 months, but you can never be too careful. This is why racking inspection training is another way to guarantee that your warehouse is a positive and safe working environment. As with the inspections, employees feel valued and invested in and, with proper management, they will return this investment by doing good work.
Warehouse working can be a great thing, but as with any career, this is only true if employees and employers respect each other, the business, and the rules of safety.
Make your warehouse a great place to warehouse work with racking inspection training and a pallet racking inspection from the best SEMA approved racking inspector in the UK.
