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Many different processes take place in the warehouse: the storage and retrieval of products and raw materials, the transport of goods and, in many cases, quality control. Accordingly, the warehouse is almost always a fast-paced and busy environment.
To protect personnel from avoidable accidents and potential injury, following relevant warehouse health and safety regulations is essential. In this guide, you will learn which areas are particularly important to focus on and how you can reduce hazards in the warehouse.
What hazards can occur in the warehouse?
The warehouse is a particularly common space for industrial accidents to occur. This is because many everyday warehouse activities carry an increased health and safety risk.
For example, transporting pallets with stacker trucks or pallet trucks, removing goods from high shelves, or preparing goods by palletising. There is also a particular safety risk for pedestrians in narrow-aisle warehouses, which is why warehouse safety rules often mandate a minimum aisle width. Accidents can also be caused by defective or incorrectly maintained work equipment or materials.
According to the British Safety Council, 1300 UK workers are hospitalised with serious injuries every year following a forklift accident. In 2019/2020, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the percentage of non-fatal injuries in transportation and storage was higher than in any other industry, with loading docks highlighted as a particularly high-risk area.
Warehouse health and safety risks include:
- Industrial trucks and material transport machines
- Racks, pallets and shelving systems
- Storage containers and packaging (drums, lattice boxes, canisters, etc.)
The most common causes of accidents in these areas include:
- Injuries caused by falling goods
- Collisions with industrial trucks or running over feet
- Incorrect use of ladders and steps, including falling off of them
- Too much strain placed on the body (back and knee problems)
Detailed figures on the causes of accidents can be found in the annual Health and Safety Executive report. However, from this first overview, we can see that following proper warehouse safety training and regulations plays a vitally important role in the day-to-day working environment.
Potential sources of danger in the warehouse
In the following table, you will find an exemplary overview of hazards and risks that can occur while working in a warehouse.
| Hazard | Examples |
|---|---|
| Flammable or explosive hazards | • Transport of dangerous goods • Improper storage of lithium-ion batteries • Hazardous materials • Use of chemicals • Gas-powered plants |
| Electrical hazards | • Charging stations, e.g. for lithium-ion batteries • Short circuit of lighting in the workplace • Defective electrical cables and plugs |
| Mechanical hazards | • Industrial trucks • Lack of protective clothing • Lifting machinery • Conveyor belts • Power tools • Confined space, e.g. in narrow-aisle warehouses • Inadequate securing of moving parts • Slippery or sharp-edged surfaces • Shelving and pallets • Ramps, ladders and stairs |
Warehouse risk assessment as a basis for safety planning
In principle, company management is responsible for ensuring that warehouse health is prioritised by following all relevant regulations and reasonable precautions. To this end, a comprehensive safety guide should be drawn up during warehouse planning that covers all aspects of daily work.
This applies to:
- Setting up the warehouse
- Selecting suitable tools and machines
- Coordinating and optimising workflows
- Onboarding and ongoing training of employees
As a foundation for warehouse health and safety, you must first conduct a comprehensive risk assessment. In doing so, all work areas, furnishings, machines, vehicles and traffic routes are scrutinised for possible danger sources and judged according to a uniform standard. The effects of work on the mental and physical well-being of employees must also be taken into account.
Automated processes and modern technical solutions can reduce hazards in the warehouse. Consult with an expert external service provider for a tailor-made assessment and advice on safety in your warehouse.
The STOP principle
The STOP principle (Substitution, Technology, Organisation, Personal) is a hierarchy of prevention methods aimed at reducing risk and hazards. At each stage of the risk assessment, the following questions should be asked:
- Can you do without the specific process/machine/raw material or replace it with a less dangerous option? (Substitution)
- Can the danger be contained by technical or structural changes? (Technical measures)
- Can changes in workflows provide more security? (Organisational measures)
- Are employees and visitors better protected from danger with certain protective equipment? (Personal measures)
The order of the STOP principle should not be changed. This means that you must always try to find the least dangerous procedure, equipment, etc. for completing a task before taking technical, organisational or personal measures.
More warehouse safety tips: Seven ways to reduce hazards
After conducting a risk assessment, the next thing to consider is what concrete measures can you take to improve overall warehouse health and safety? We have summarised the most important accident prevention solutions for you here:
- Shelving and storage systems
The most important factors to consider when it comes to safety around racks and shelving systems are load-bearing capacity and stability. Ensure that approved shelving and bay loads do not exceed their safe load capacity and that the load is evenly distributed. If the shelving is at risk of exceeding its maximum load and you still have warehouse capacity, consider increasing storage capacity with more heavy-duty shelving.
Commercially used shelves are subject to inspection. This means that the stability and integrity of storage racks, especially heavy-duty racks, must be assessed regularly during safety checks. - Sufficient space for industrial trucks
For the safe use of forklifts and pallet trucks, space conditions play an important role. Make sure that there is sufficient space for driving and manoeuvring and that minimum distances to shelving units are adhered to. If you are setting up your warehouse from scratch, you should first determine the necessary aisle width before planning storage space.
Impact protection guards can prevent shelves from tipping over in the event of driving errors. They can also be used to separate traffic routes from each other and therefore increase warehouse health and safety for all personnel in the area. - Regularly check and maintain industrial trucks
Make sure that you only ever use fully functional industrial trucks. The HSE recommends that a trained individual should thoroughly and regularly inspect all lifting equipment and other potentially hazardous machinery. Forklift and pallet truck repair can be conducted onsite as part of the regular maintenance process, provided you have the infrastructure to do so. This ensures that safe and operational industrial trucks are always available.
- Realistic time management reduces the risk of accidents
Unrealistic timeline expectations, for example, while picking or packing products, can result in employees making mistakes or forgetting important warehouse safety rules, which can pose a significant safety risk. Plan enough time for all the necessary work steps. With the help of modern picking technologies such as pick-by-vision or pick-by-watch, as well as effective warehouse equipment, processes can be implemented punctually and safely.
- Employee training
Never underestimate the impact that the lack of knowledge or carelessness on the part of employees can have on warehouse health and safety.
It is important that all relevant personnel receive regular training and instruction. This can include correct forklift truck procedures, the proper use of tools, how to implement warehouse fire safety or how to behave in certain dangerous situations such as working alone. - Work equipment for employees
Ensuring and implementing optimal working conditions is also crucial for maintaining warehouse health and safety. This means that all employees should be able to carry out their tasks in a safe way and without unnecessarily endangering their health. Therefore, consider the following options to reduce potential hazards:
• Set up ergonomic standing workstations
• Adjust workload and recovery times
• Reduce work strain through automation of warehouse processes
• Adapt personal protective equipment (PPE) to findings from the risk assessment - The responsibility of management and business owners
Finally, as a company owner, you play a critical role in the overall well-being of your staff. After all, what good are all the rules and regulations if you as a leader do not comply with them? Lead by example and implement all safety measures and regulations for safety in the warehouse yourself.
What are the warehouse health and safety regulations?
There are a significant number of warehouse safety regulations. The following legal texts contain general regulations on occupational health and safety:
- Health and Safety at Work Act
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER)
In addition, there are numerous regulations for specific topics such as the operation of industrial trucks and the use of storage racks.
For example:
- BS EN 15635 fixed steel shelving systems, application and maintenance of storage equipment
- BS EN 15512 Fixed steel shelving systems, adjustable pallet racking
- BS EN 528 Storage and retrieval equipment and machines, safety requirements
If you are not sure which warehouse health and safety regulations apply to you, you can find out more from the HSE website.
FAQ on warehouse health and safety
Statistics from the British Safety Council report that 1300 UK workers are hospitalised every year as a result of forklift accidents. Transportation and storage jobs consistently rank higher than many other industries for the number of non-fatal accidents that occur.
The greatest risks include:
• Industrial trucks and material transport machines
• Racks, pallets and shelving systems
• Storage containers and packaging (drums, lattice boxes, canisters, etc.)
The most common causes of accidents in the warehouse are:
• Injuries caused by falling transport and storage goods
• Collisions with industrial trucks or running over feet
• Falls from ladders and steps
• Overwork and stress on the body (back and knee problems)
In principle, company management is responsible for ensuring maximum safety in the warehouse. To this end, a comprehensive safety plan should be created during warehouse planning that covers all aspects of daily work. This applies to:
• Setting up the warehouse
• Selecting suitable tools and machines
• Coordinating and optimising workflows
• Onboarding and ongoing training of employees
As a basis for a safety plan, you must first carry out a risk assessment in the warehouse. All workplaces, furnishings, machines, vehicles and traffic routes are examined for possible sources of danger and assessed according to a uniform standard. The effects of work on the body and psyche of employees must also be taken into account.
Please note: The regulations mentioned here are only a selection of the most important legal requirements. For detailed information, please refer to the collections of regulations and legal texts listed and, where applicable, other reliable sources on the topic. When in doubt, consult experts on the specific implementation in your company.
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