OSHA Warehouse Safety Standards You Need to Know

Although June is the official National Safety Month in the United States, safety is a year-round concern for today’s facility managers worldwide. Given that production technologies – and the regulations related to them are continually evolving, it’s always a good idea to review some of OSHA’s key warehouse safety standards and requirements. Here are five imperative OSHA guidelines that everyone should be familiar with:

1: Industrial Facility Materials Handling

Keeping work areas clear of clutter and obstructions in your industrial facility will improve safety, efficiency, and help get the warehousein compliance with OSHA regulation 1910.176. Areas of emphasis include employee passageways (aisles, loading docks, etc.). Additionally, mitigating risks associated with unprotected fall hazards (open pits, tanks, etc.) will make any facility safer, while also meeting Subpart G of this OSHA standard.

To improve warehouse safety further, consider LED communication systems that provide at-a-glance status updates at the loading dock (Corner-Vu and Leveler-Vu, as part of the Rite-Vu Hazard Recognition System) and at aisle intersections inside the plant (Safe-T-Signal). Safety gates like the GateKeeper mezzanine safety gate can protect employees who encounter fall hazard risks regularly on mezzanines and elevated work platforms.

2: Walking-Working Surfaces in the Warehouse

Partly due to recent changes, there’s been an extra emphasis on OSHA’s Walking-Working Surfaces rule. To comply with OSHA standard 1910.28, employers must install a guardrail system for areas where an employee could fall 4 feet or more.

For example, nearly all loading docks have openings with a 4-foot drop (or greater). A chain across the opening will not comply with the new regulation. However, the recent development of the Dok-Guardian XL provides a 58-inch fiberglass curtain that can withstand 30,000 pounds of force – meeting the WWS regulation.=

3: Ergonomic Solutions for Your Industrial Facility

OSHA regulation 1910.900 requires employers to protect employees from risk factors such as repetition, force, awkward postures, contact stress, and vibrations. There are opportunities to automate operations that could only be accomplished manually in the past.

Facility managers should strongly consider ergonomic solutions that require only the push of a button – like using a Dok-Commander control panel to operate a Dok-Lok or hydraulic leveler, or using automated machine guarding doors, such as the Defender. Leave the back-breaking work to the machines.

4: Machine Guard All Hazardous Operations in the Plant

Any machine that poses a risk to workers through its operation must be guarded,according to OSHA standard1910.212(a)(3)(iii). From heavy manufacturing like welding, cutting and grinding to automated stretch wrap machines in the loading dock, OSHA wants facilities to guard those operations. Automated barrier doors provide physical safety for workers by preventing secondary hazards from flying out of work cells and restricting access to dangerous robotic movements inside the cell.

5: Limit Noise Levels in a Warehouse Environment 

OSHA understands that some industrial facility operations are going to produce potentially hazardous noise levels. However, guideline 1910.95 requires extensive hearing conservation plans for any plant or warehousethat exposes employees to 85 decibels or louder. If it’s not feasible to reduce sound levels in the facility through quieter equipment, there are sound-absorbing options like the Zoneworks SZ Acoustic Curtain Wall that can reduce noise by up to 22-25 decibels at a much lower cost.

Always Looking Ahead

At Rite-Hite, every month is safety month. If you’re looking to improve safety for your workers and the efficiency of your operation, consider an upgrade to your facility loading dock and in-plant equipment by getting in touch with one of our Rite-Hite sales representatives today.

Improve Safety and Productiving in Your Industrial Facility by Contacting Us Today!