Safety Protocol for Warehouse Work Environments

The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the significance of workplace and warehouse safety highlighting negative consequences of what can happen if safety is not prioritized. Striking that balance between safety and productivity is crucial, luckily there are multiple workplace readiness solutions to keep your team safe today and into the future.

Driver & Building Access Cages Can Deliver Multiple Safety Benefits

Driver and building access cages and wire partitions already provide an added layer of separation for unauthorized personnel. They can also be leveraged to improve warehouse safety and meet social distancing guidelines. WOI offers a variety of wire partition products in various sizes for scalability and customization, to accommodate your operation. 

Consider installing wire cages at multiple entry points to your facility to restrict personnel movement and minimize the risk of virus transmission. They are a cost-effective solution for facility entrances, work floors, shipping & receiving dock areas, and other secure areas. Truck driver cages can be interfaced with access control software to scan visitors and employees for health-related markers, i.e. masks, temperature checks, etc. and then remotely open the gate for a touchless application.  

The added benefit of truck driver containment includes preventing outside unauthorized personnel from entering the plant, warehouse, or other areas reserved for employees and authorized personnel. Prior to COVID-19, this type of wire containment was common in many warehouse loading dock areas. 

Warehouse Workflow Solutions for Social Distancing

Warehouse workflow often requires close quarters and it’s become important to implement adequate social distancing guidelines to ensure limited contact. Some of the ways your warehouse can accomplish this task include:

• One-Way Traffic Aisles – One-way traffic aisles prevent cross-traffic and keep movement in one direction. This helps reduce the risk of droplet transmission.
• Sanitization Stations – Whether it’s just a standalone hand sanitizer stand or a custom-designed “clean room”, placing sanitization stations at multiple points within your warehouse can facilitate frequency of use and prevent bacteria transmission and subsequent infection.
• Designated Work Areas – Whenever possible, implementing designated work areas limits employee movement throughout your warehouse and keeps teams confined to specific points. Try to implement sanitization stations in every designated work area.
• Clearly designated foot traffic aisles using guardrail or handrail to control walk paths with an added bonus of separating PIV equipment from personnel for safety.

It’s also important to post appropriate signage at multiple areas of your warehouse for both English and non-English-speaking employees with instructions for social distancing, handwashing, and more. Signs should be accessible for people with disabilities and easy to understand.

Modular Buildings

One of the most effective ways to keep your employees and visitors safe is to sequester them in offsite modular buildings. These buildings can either serve as designated work areas and keep teams of employees separate from one another or they can serve as designated onsite testing facilities, sanitation centers, restrooms, and more. These buildings can be set up adjacent to your main headquarters or even within your warehouse. 

Freestanding buildings and walls can isolate personnel while undergoing screening and isolate any people with symptoms of sickness. These medical isolation rooms can be constructed quickly to accommodate any capacity required. Nurse’s offices can be easily added using modular construction for privacy and quarantine areas. Containment areas & guard stations can be quickly erected using modular buildings to provide an abundance of security and protection for your whole operation. 

Touchless Processes for Warehouse Safety

The less you have to touch the better, which is why it might be a good idea to invest in touchless access systems that use technology to ensure your employees don’t have an elevated temperature and that they’re wearing masks. Other touchless solutions that include workplace safety include:

• • RFID Receiving and Inventory Management – RFID tags can help facilitate quicker and less hands-on engagement with pallets and can also assist with contract tracing for employees who have been exposed or have tested positive for COVID-19.
  •  Voice-Directed Picking – Eliminate the use of paper and assign pickers to unique zones to help contain their work areas. Added bonus, voice picking is exponentially faster than traditional picking methods and helps alleviate supply chain stresses.
  • Personal Mobile Workstations – Limit the amount of communal touching on label printers and workplace systems by allowing your employees to bring their own stations to work.

• Touchless Temperature and Mask Scanners – Digital contactless temperature and mask-scanning kiosks can scan temperature without touching your employees’ foreheads. Facial recognition software can ensure employees and visitors are properly masked. 

It’s also important to establish clean workplace best practices and to thoroughly train your employees on how to adhere to them. Check employees’ temperatures at multiple points of the day and make sure your employees know their jobs will be waiting for them if they have to take time off. They need to know that they don’t have to be afraid to tell you if they become ill. 

Let WOI Assist You in Creating a Safe and Clean Workplace

If your company is looking to install warehouse safety products or if you could use some out of the box thinking to create a safer, cleaner warehouse, contact the team at Storage Solutions Inc. (WOI). We are ready to help. Safety is one of our focus points with our 5 Step Total Satisfaction Experience™ you are guaranteed that we will listen to your needs and execute your project with special attention to your unique application, project timelines, safety, and the appearance of the finished product. The WOI team will walk you through each stage of the process and provide expert customer service to deliver great results and peace of mind. Contact a member of our team today and let’s chat or Zoom. Call 865-540-4004 for a prompt response. We proudly serve customers in Tennessee, Alabama, and throughout the Southeast.