How to Safeguard Your Warehouse from Electrical Hazards
10 tips that will help you safeguard your warehouse from electrical hazards.
Electrical safety is one of the most vital components of any warehouse.
Electrical tools, cords, equipment which are an integral part of the warehouse floor, all pose serious threats if handled carelessly.
For instance, extension cords are one of the most extensively utilized electrical materials. If mishandled, they may overheat at the least or result in a fire which can cause damage to property and life at the worst. Injuries associated to non-compliance with regulations may result in severe penalties besides damaging your reputation as an employer.
You must have a culture of workplace safety and ensure that every single person on the floor adheres to safety norms. Let’s take a look at how you can safeguard your warehouse from hazards and boost electrical safety.
10 Tips to Prevent Electrical Hazards
Appropriate Grounding
Ensure that all electronic equipment is appropriately grounded. This will decrease the risks of electrical shocks.
Also make sure that the power cords are not blocking aisles or walking ways so that the chances of workers tripping on them and falling are eliminated.
Meet OSHA Standards
All the electrical systems should meet the OSHA design and maintenance standards. Sub-standard or makeshift wiring configurations can lead to electrocution.
Optimal Condition
All the electrical equipment should be in optimal condition. The outlets and cords should be in good state and no exposed frayed wires should be coming out of them. Regularly inspect the electrical tool with preliminary checks and appropriate tests.
Avoid water
This may seem obvious, but you should keep electrical equipment away from any type of wetness. Completely power down equipment when not in use and during service or cleaning sessions. Areas surrounding electrical cords and equipment hold high potential for electrical hazards. Hence, you should always keep these areas clean. You should also keep materials such as metals or water out of these areas for added precaution.
Maintain Your Electrical Equipment
Carry out periodic preventive maintenance of electrical equipment and fixed installations. You should have a competent person – either internally or externally – inspect and test your equipment. Always keep an eye out for visible signs of damage or faults. Visual inspection is one of the most basic steps you can take to ensure electrical safety.
Invest in Training
Electrical safety training is one of the most important steps any warehouse manager can take to safeguard the facility.
You should design comprehensive training programs for all employees. Two great areas to focus training on are safe handling or material and equipment operating procedures. Don’t forget about workers who don’t operate equipment! When it comes to warehouse safety it’s always a team effort. You should make workers who don’t operate equipment aware by training them in electrical safety practices – just in case!
Award Safe Behavior
Recognition and rewards for safe behaviors can help reduce and even eliminate potential workplace electrical hazards.
Implement Policies and Procedures
Have general housekeeping policies and procedures in place. Simple practices such as keeping loose wires and other clutter out of the way, immediately cleaning all spills, ensuring a clear unobstructed path to emergency exits at all times, etc., can help reduce the number of accidents on the warehouse floor.
Plan for Severe Weather
It also helps to have plans for severe weather. When convective systems are a threat it’s important to safeguard your equipment by unplugging appliances and other electrical items, like computers, televisions, and monitors, to prevent damage from surges caused by lightning strikes. You can get a head start with advanced thunderstorm warnings from a total lightning network.
Conduct Safety Audits
Conduct regular safety audits including fire inspections. Make the required modifications in safety practices. There is always room for improvement especially when it comes to safety related to ergonomics.
Other Tips
Other general safety measures include use of correct cable connectors or couplers to join lengths of cables together.
Do not allow the usage of taped joints.
Don’t overloaded socket outlets with several adapters. You should also clearly identify power cut-off switches on fixed electrical equipment in case of emergency.
Safeguard Your Warehouse: A Bright Idea
From falls to fires due to electrical hazards, there are numerous potential risks in a warehouse. Top management is responsible for establishing and enforcing a strict electrical safety protocol.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is a big focus area for many warehouses and manufacturing operations. A safe workplace contributes to employee satisfaction and also minimizes your costs related to insurance coverage and compensation.
Author bio – Jeson Pitt works with the marketing department of D&F Liquidators and regularly writes to share his knowledge while enlightening people about electrical products and solving their electrical dilemmas. He’s got the industry insights that you can count on along with years of experience in the field. Jeson lives in Hayward, CA and loves to explore different cuisines that the food trucks in the Bay area have to offer.
