You might not necessarily think that investing in some of our used shelving is a primary method of keeping a warehouse environment safe, but actually shelving within such a premises is doing far more for safety than you might at first think.

Safety frequently comes down to ‘common-sense’ type adjustments, and shelving undoubtedly provides plenty of these. Here are a few ways that shelving can improve the safety of your warehouse environment.

Keeps the Environment Tidy

It goes without saying that not everything within a warehouse is safe to leave lying around, and many heavy objects clearly have a high risk of being potentially hazardous when mishandled. Quality shelving is robust enough to keep even heavy (or sharp) objects out of harm’s way, allowing work to continue without hindrance or danger. This might be an obvious point, but it’s definitely still a valid one.

Removes Trip Hazards

Even if objects are not innately sharp or weighty enough to cause injury, they can still inadvertently do so by being left lying around. Access aisles within a warehouse are regularly traversed by people carrying burdens, and a single trip can take one of your employees out of action for quite some time. The health and safety implications of this can lead to long-term repercussions, and this is something that nobody wants, hence the value of shelving as a solution.

Encourages Responsible Storage

Following on from the above point, having shelving in place encourages employees to store things responsibly, rather than simply discarding them. It’s like providing convenient bins for people as a way of discouraging littering. Similarly, if you have a viable shelving system in place, then warehouse workers will be far more likely to make use of it when it comes to temporarily storing heavy items, which decreases the chances of such a burden falling from an unsuitable ledge and hurting someone.

Widens Aisles

Warehouse workers often have to pass each other on the same aisle as they move about – sometimes using forklifts or similar vehicles – and even if an aisle is kept free of trip hazards it can be artificially narrowed by produce that has been left to one side. These narrowed aisles are notorious for causing collisions or similar problems as people try to squeeze past each other, but the simple action of installing shelving will provide a ready place for storage, keeping all aisles open.

Increases Access to Heavy Loads

Last, but definitely not least, appropriate shelving allows warehouse workers to have safe access to awkward objects that might otherwise be difficult to lift. Trying to lift a heavy object in a confined space can be hugely dangerous, and likewise so can the action of trying to hoist an object from an inappropriate height (too low down, for example). Appropriate shelving can allow heavy loads to be stored safely in an environment where they can be easily reached for subsequent handling.

As you can see, our used shelving can contribute to warehouse safety in many different ways, and here at CNC: The Shelving Centre we stock a vast array of such shelving for you to make use of, including types for very specific environments. No warehouse should be without the appropriate kind of shelving, so contact us now by calling 020 8998 9247 or emailing david.cornish@theshelvingcentre.co.uk to equip your premises properly and cost-effectively.