Efficiency and safety, especially for companies within the warehousing industry, go hand-in-hand. By utilizing proper postures and movement techniques, you will not only be preventing a workplace injury, but you’ll also be improving your overall productivity.
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s guidelines (on the United States Department of Labor website), taking the appropriate measures to keep yourself, as the employee, safe in the warehouse can easily be achieved with efficiency.
If you are lifting items in the warehouse, no matter the weight, keep the item close to your body to avoid putting stress on your back. Always bend with your knees and have a flat back when picking items up from the ground, straightening your legs and having your feet firmly on the ground as you retrieve the item.
For boxes that are heavier than you can pick up, use a scissor lift or forklift to move the pallet of items to waist-level to make it more convenient to maneuver around the warehouse. Stacking empty pallets in the warehouse could also help in placing items/products at a level workers can reach. The inclusion of turntables and roller bed conveyors could also be helpful in lessening worker injuries and increasing productivity in moving items.
In a position where you are working in freezers? Be sure to wear thermal gloves, as the cold temperatures can create stress on your hands with the decreased circulation. The same also applies to wearing clothing and closed-toe shoes that keep body heat in and cold temperatures out.
If you are preparing items/products for shipping, injuries can even occur with shrink-wrapping items, so installing an automatic plastic-wrapping machine (with the products on pallets and a turntable) allows the products to be effectively wrapped without stress on the worker’s back. Handles on shrink-wrap rolls can lessen cuts to workers’ fingers as they wrap items.
Now you are ready to apply for warehouse jobs, which KB Staffing can help with through our frequently updated jobs page. Apply online with our online application page for all jobs, whether temporary to temp-to-perm, or you can visit us in Winter Haven weekdays from 9-11 am or 2-4 pm.
