Is warehouse safety at odds with productivity & efficiency?
Contrary to popular belief, safety, productivity, and efficiency are not mutually exclusive in warehouse operations. In fact, they can coexist and mutually enhance each other. But how is this achieved?
Boost warehouse safety amidst increasing consumer pressures
Warehousing is a vast industry that plays a crucial role in the modern world. It’s continually adapting to new dynamics as supply chains become more complex and warehouses evolve into distribution centres. According to IBISWorld, the public storage and warehousing industry in the UK alone generates £20bn in revenue, with an average industry growth of 7.9% over the past five years. This involves nearly 7,896 businesses and employs almost 156,650 people.
The industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, prompting a shift in its approach to warehouse safety. These changes have been driven by various factors, including the impact of technological advancements, and consumer behaviour and warehouse operations.
According to Forbes, 20.1% of global retail purchases are expected to take place online in 2024, and by 2027, this figure is set to grow to 23%. This boom is significantly impacting the warehousing and logistics industry.
- E-commerce requires individual item picking and packing, necessitating more staff in the warehouse. Instead of delivering a whole pallet to a physical store, individual items must be packed in unique packages.
- With next-day delivery becoming the norm and customers expecting efficient return processing, reverse logistics requirements have significantly increased.
Warehouse managers must adapt and expand warehouse safety in tandem with the growing pressures brought on by changes in consumer habits. Without doing so, warehouse managers are not only in breach of moral obligations to their teams but also most countries’ health & safety at work legislation. The consequence of this could lead to the local authority taking action under criminal law and the possibility of the person affected making a claim for compensation against you under civil law.
Retain a Competitive Advantage Whilst Ensuring Warehouse Safety
There’s a growing trend towards more efficient and cost-effective warehouses as companies grapple with shrinking margins and the need to remain competitive. Whilst the surge in online consumption may seem beneficial for the industry at first glance, a deeper look reveals potential negative impacts on business operations and warehouse safety in terms of its resilience to the increasing pressures.
The industry is grappling with labour shortages and has been for a long while. In part, because less and less people are interested in getting into highly physically demanding jobs without proper compensation. This gap in the next-generation workforce has meant that the current warehouses struggle to meet demand as there are fewer workers in warehouses to do the lifting and handling of parcels.
Workers are tasked with increasingly high targets without the necessary manpower to achieve them. If a warehouse can’t keep pace with demand and workers are under excessive stress, leading to errors and increased risk of mishandling goods, it becomes less attractive to decision-makers higher up in the supply chain, who may then consider more efficient warehouses.
However, the pursuit of speed and efficiency to should never compromise warehouse safety of workers. No order quota is worth a person’s life. As the volume of parcels handled within the entire supply chain increases, systems are becoming more integrated to facilitate this growth and increase safety protocols.
Safety is at a tipping point as the warehousing industry grapples with new pressures
There is a general increase in awareness of warehouse safety issues in the industry. But as the number of partly automated locations increases, safety is becoming a top priority. Leaving aside the risks associated with forklift trucks, stacking poses another safety concern for workers. The repeated act of picking and lifting stock can cause strain on employees’ bodies. Also, fatigue can lead to lapses of concentration, further increasing the risk of injury from improper lifting or unstable stacking.
The loading dock is one of the most dangerous areas of a warehouse. Pedestrians and large vehicles are moving in the same space with contracted drivers who may not know the site well increasing the risk of accidents.
This is further complicated by enhanced business during certain times of the year. The seasonality of many businesses presents another safety concern. Large increases in stock flow occur at certain times of the year, for example, around Black Friday and at Christmas. Lumper Services with unknown skills and possible language barriers are used to meet demand. However, with recent technological developments, the practicality and cost-efficiency of lumper services have been called into question. Not to mention the risk to the workers from lumper service, often used as a proxy to distance themselves from human casualties.
To ensure these workers are kept safe, processes should be simple and able to protect workers without extensive training each time more hands are needed. In this case, it can be beneficial to turn to technology, helping remove the risks from lifting and having guaranteed results every time.
Machine-human collaboration opening up new opportunities
Technological advancements have also internally affected warehouses, with the development of partly automated materials handling, picking, and packing machines. These devices enhance the speed, accuracy, and reliability of the warehouse, leading to a greater number of on-time and accurate deliveries. This, in turn, can improve the company’s overall image and generate more business.
A collaborative approach to working, combining the strength of machinery with the control and reliability of people also increases staff efficiency. For instance, a vacuum lifter eliminates the need for staff to pick products manually, lowering accident risks, lowering labour expenses and offsetting the systems’ initial capital cost.
TAWI Solutions for Enhanced Warehouse Safety
At TAWI, we’ve been developing and evolving lifting solutions for the warehouse industry with a goal to enhance safety for both workers and businesses, making them resilient to changes and future-ready.
With a century’s worth of experience, we’re confident in our ability to develop innovative solutions. Our driving force is the success of your warehouse, with a focus on boosting productivity, improving health and safety, and fostering a more flexible work environment. We aim to empower everyone with the ability to lift, thereby addressing labour shortages and diversifying your team.
Our lifting solutions are designed to cater to different roles and areas within the warehouse, easing the burden on your workers. TAWI’s vacuum lift systems and other lifting devices facilitate the ergonomic handling of sacks, boxes, drums, reels, and more. Our extensive range of industrial lifting equipment, including vacuum lifters, lifting trolleys, hoists, and crane systems, ensures that we can provide a comprehensive solution for you.
To learn more about how you can strike the right balance between safety and efficiency, check out “The Complete Guide to Improving Efficiency within Warehousing Logistics (How you can strike a balance between productivity and people)”.
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