Preventing hazards in Canadian warehouses and distribution centres

Slips, trips and falls are significant hazards in warehouses and distribution centres across Canada. These incidents can lead to debilitating injuries for workers and high costs for employers. Here are two real-life examples:

• A worker rushes outside in snowy, wet weather to start a vehicle and warm it up. He slips, realizes he’s falling and uses his arm to cushion the impact. He starts to feel nauseous, faint and is in considerable pain. The worker has suffered a dislocated shoulder and must wear a sling, attend physiotherapy and miss work for months. For the employer, this may mean higher workers’ compensation and health-care costs, as well as expenses to hire a replacement worker.
• An employee is offloading a pallet from a truck with a pallet jack, walking backwards and trips on a pallet lying flat on the floor. The worker falls, hitting their head. The employee calls in sick the next day. Two weeks later, the worker dies as a result of the head injury. The employer is charged under provincial legislation and fined $60,000.

Employers in warehouse and distribution centres need to be particularly proactive when it comes to prevention because the potential for slips, trips and falls is everywhere. They can occur in the yard, on the warehouse floor, in transition areas between the outside and inside (uneven or slippery floor surfaces), while products are being loaded or unloaded (empty pallets, debris or spills) and while working at heights on ladders.

The following 10 tips can help significantly reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls in your warehouse or distribution centre, creating a safer and healthier environment for workers.

1. Implement good housekeeping practices:

• Clean up spills and wet surfaces immediately. Common areas prone to slips, trips and falls include high-traffic areas and entrances.
• Keep walkways and aisles clear of obstacles and clutter.
• Ensure proper storage and organization of materials.

2. Regularly inspect and maintain flooring, including cleaning and repairing cracks or uneven surfaces.

3. Ensure adequate and unobscured lighting in walkways, staircases and high-traffic areas. Also, consider outdoor lighting levels. During low-light conditions in the fall and winter, it is more difficult to see obstructions due to poor housekeeping or pavement imperfections. During regular inspections, walk through the yard when it is dark outside to identify risks.

4. Use brightly coloured warning signs to alert workers to a slip hazard, such as a wet floor. When the hazard is gone, remove the sign. If left in place indefinitely, warning signs will not be taken seriously.

5. Identify the causes of unsafe behaviours (e.g., rushing, distractions, overreaching, fatigue). Is your company sending the message that productivity is more important than health and safety? Are you communicating your policies and practices effectively? Are supervisors adequately enforcing your safety practices?

6. Address seasonal risks. For example, watch for pools of melted snow in transition areas or icy patches on potholes in the yard. Repair potholes and clear snow, applying salt and sand as needed. Stock up on salt and sand, keeping it readily available close to the hazard or walking path. Remember that not only are your workers at risk but so are contract drivers.

7. Ensure drivers or workers don’t track in rain or snow. Place mats at each entrance so that those entering the building can dry their feet before walking on concrete floors. Replace mats if they become saturated with water, and make sure this is part of your housekeeping protocol with assigned responsibility.

8. Pay attention to the loading dock area, especially during inclement weather. Review your dock seals or shelters to ensure that air entering the dock will not cause condensation or wetness on the steel dock plate, contributing to slip hazards and lift trucks skidding. A poor seal may also allow snow or rain to enter the dock area. Preventative maintenance includes ensuring a good seal around trailers parked at your loading dock.

9. Don’t overlook risks associated with ladders and mobile equipment. Train your workers to:

• Always use handrails.
• Carry objects with one hand if permitted, leaving one hand free to grip the handrail.
• Only carry loads that fit within the handrail.
• Face the ladder when ascending and descending if required by the manufacturer.
• Avoid overreaching a handrail or guardrail.
• Keep the ladder close to the work and be positioned to achieve three-point contact (two feet and one hand).

10. Encourage workers to report hazards and near misses. Take immediate action to correct the problem.