Keeping workplaces neat & tidy is usually an unwritten rule of many warehouses, a rule that is not always enforced. Warehouse managers are starting to realize that having ongoing high housekeeping standards will improve many areas of your overall business; and it does involve more than a quick sweep & emptying the bins at clock off time!
It’s crazy that safety/WHS is perceived as being more trouble than it’s worth.
Staff know how to avoid the usual hazards; keeping out of busy traffic lanes, wearing PPE and lifting safely (at least they should), but actively cleaning up usually takes the back seat.
Safe Work Australia publishes statistics on the most common workplace injuries in Australian workplaces in 2016; some frequent ones are:
- Workplace Trips & Falls
- Falling from Heights
- Unidentified Falling Objects
All of these all-too-common incidents could be greatly reduced or even eliminated once a greater focus on keeping your warehouse organised & tidy is written into company policy.
Fact: The most efficient, productive warehouses are those that are neat and well-organized.
Warehouses are often a 24 hour operation and the thought of allocating warehouse staff time & resources for something as ‘mundane’ as cleaning may not sit well with managers on a deadline. But disregarding basic housekeeping rules, leads to:
- Cluttered storage areas and shelves.
- Blocked aisles, stairways and exits
- Potentially flammable materials stored near sources of ignition.
- Untidily piled & hard-to-pick inventory
- Storage of items that are obsolete or unnecessary
As a manager, here is a checklist you can use to help reduce accidents and keep your warehouse tidy & productive:
- Among employees, reinforce the notion that housekeeping is everyone’s responsibility
- Encourage the use of shelves, bins and trays to store tools and other work items
- Constant patrolling to ensure aisles, stairways, and exits are free from debris
- Provide a block of time for everyone to clean up every day.
Benefits of keeping your warehouse clean include:
- Maintaining clean and tidy work areas allow more efficient working
- A clean environment can serve as a morale booster for staff and reflects a well-run organisation. It also sets precedence for others to clean up as they work.
- You’ll be amazed at the extra space and supposedly missing inventory/tools that turn up when regular cleaning occurs.
- Facilitates better inventory control of tools and supplies
Good housekeeping is an ongoing journey, not a destination. It never really stops.
Using the checklist multiple times during the day and not only at the end of the shift, can help prevent costly accidents. Don’t wait for an accident before a panic clean-up occurs.
STOREPLAN, a leading supplier of warehouse shelving, encourages you to embrace a clean-as-you-go culture among your warehouse staff. Contact us for all your shelving requirements.
