The safe handling of pallets, being the most commonly used piece of equipment in material handling warehouses, is incredibly important. Last month, we brought you a guide on pallet safety which covered some ways to avoid accidents involving pallets. Pallet safety is so important that we are revisiting the topic and revealing some steps to effectively implement pallet safety in your warehouse. If your warehouse struggles with safety awareness and you want to improve, learning how to properly handle pallets is an excellent place to start.
We created the below video as an easy to follow and informative resource for your company. Check it out to learn about some basic steps for practicing pallet safety.
Remember that warehouse safety is only effective if it is understood and practiced by everyone in the warehouse. Thanks for watching this video on pallet safety, and be sure to share it with all your co-workers to promote warehouse safety. Together, we can eliminate unnecessary accidents in warehouses. Utilizing high quality equipment, especially pallets, is vital to warehouse safety so don’t forget to check out Premier’s selection of top of the line pallets. We’ll see you next week with another informative video about warehouse safety.
Pallet Safety Video Transcript
Are you tired of having work flow in your warehouse impeded by improper pallet usage? Are you ready to eliminate all pallet related injuries in your warehouse? Then stick around as we go through several simple steps that will help transform your warehouse into a paradigm of pallet safety.
Steps for Pallet Safety
The first and most obvious rule is to never use pallets to lift individuals. It is good practice to avoid standing on pallets altogether. Pallets are designed to support loads that are evenly distributed across their surface, so standing on a pallet can result in a broken slat or an ensnared foot.
Sometimes pallets are stored close together in a way that makes accessing their loads difficult without stepping on the pallets. In these cases it is best to move the pallets out of the way so you can reach the products you need to.
Speaking of storing pallets, when stacking pallets on top of one another, avoid creating stacks higher than four feet tall. It should be easy for all employees in a warehouse to be able to remove a pallet from a stack without the aid of handling equipment. When possible, ask another person to help you when removing a stacked pallet to further reduce the risk of an accident. Make sure that the pallet you are moving is not caught on the below pallet or anything nearby before you try to remove it.
When carrying a pallet, the proper technique is to hold the pallet as vertically as possible, and as close to your body as you can. This will help you maintain your center of gravity so you don’t lose your balance while carrying a pallet.
Almost all injuries caused by pallets in the warehouse are hand and foot injuries. Simply wearing gloves and safety boots while handling pallets can be an extremely effective way to eliminate the risk of injury.
Keep any pathway or work zone free from obstructions. When carrying a pallet or operating equipment, awareness of potential obstacles is reduced, so be sure to keep all areas of the warehouse free of debris.
Finally, do not use damaged pallets for work. Pallets that are broken should be either recycled or discarded to avoid injury to personnel and materials. Thanks for watching.