Keeping your warehouse staff safe is a full-time job in itself. However, you don’t have to go it alone. Encouraging your employees to practice proper safety techniques shows them how important their jobs are and how much you value their hard work. Here are five ways to inspire your warehouse staff to be safe:

Ways To Encourage Your Warehouse Staff To Practice Proper Safety

  1. TrainingIf you want your workers to practice proper safety techniques you need to give them proper safety training. Hold regular safety workshops and meetings to ensure that your warehouse staff is always up to speed on the latest safety procedures. The same goes for equipment operation. All forklift operators must be certified and properly trained.
  2. Right equipmentPersonal protective equipment (PPE) is a must in any warehouse. If your employees don’t have access to gloves and eyewear, how are they supposed to practice proper safety procedures? Make sure you always have the right safety equipment on hand. Gloves and eyewear need to be available to your workers before each shift and any equipment that breaks or gets worn needs to be replaced ASAP.
  3. RemindersSaying, “Okay gang, be safe,” before every shift isn’t enough. You need to put up charts and reminders in your warehouse so your staff will remember exactly what safety procedures they need to be following at all times. You can also implement surprise daily or weekly safety checks where you silently observe your workers to make sure they’re doing everything right.
  4. AccountabilityIt’s one thing to provide safety training and equipment but once your staff knows what they’re supposed to be doing and still mess up, they need to be held accountable. Every member of your staff from machine operators to foremen and even you need to be held accountable for safety infractions. Anyone who commits a safety faux pas needs to be made an example of to show everyone how important this really is.
  5. RewardsYour employees aren’t children who need to be rewarded for making their beds every day but you can let them know that they’re doing a good job with their safety techniques by offering incentives. For instance, give your employees paid lunch for X amount of days without incidents. Whether you choose 20 days or 100 days, your employees will be glad you’re showing them that you value what they’re doing to stay safe.

Safety always comes first in any warehouse. If you and your staff follow the rules you can have a productive and safe warehouse 24/7.