How Can PPE Enhance Warehouse Safety? 

CONTENTS

• What is PPE?
• Why is PPE important in warehouses?
• Benefits of using PPE 
• Boost efficiency
• Enhance safety
• Further steps you can take to protect your workers
• Professional warehouse cleaning

What is PPE?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the health and safety equipment used to protect workers against potential risks on the job.

Here at ICE Cleaning, we protect our technicians from inhaling and absorbing irritants, as well as prolonged contact with harmful cleaning chemicals.

Employers across all industries are responsible for ensuring that staff and clients are safe from potential hazards and health and safety risks. According to Work Fit, warehouses are among the most hazardous places to work in the UK, with a fatality rate above the national average.

Yet, with use of the correct personal protective equipment, you can significantly reduce the risk of injuries in your warehouse or factory.

Why is PPE important in warehouses?

- Warehouse staff face a number of risks in the workplace. To combat this, employers and managers are legally obliged to provide adequate PPE. In most cases, warehouse incidents occur because members of the workforce are not wearing the PPE supplied.

- Education plays a key role in implementing health and safety rules in the workplace. By teaching your workers the importance of PPE in the warehouse, you can prevent exposure-related incidents.

For example, one of the biggest risks in industrial settings is exposure to toxic substances, such as asbestos. If exposed to harmful chemicals for long periods of time, your workers may fall subject to long-term health conditions.

- According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), there were 2,446 mesothelioma deaths related to exposure to asbestos in the workplace in 2018. 

Asbestos can be found in warehouses on:

• Cement roofs
• Wall cladding
• Downpipes and gutters
• Cement flumes
• Drainage pipes

- Safety glasses are a highly effective form of PPE, particularly in warehouses. All substances, whether corrosive or not, hold the potential to damage the eye should contact occur. Therefore, safety goggles are a crucial part of warehouse PPE.

 - By making your workforce feel safe and comfortable in the warehouse and educating them on the correct techniques and methods of using equipment, you can expect a rise in output and overall performance.

Benefits of wearing PPE in warehouses

Boost efficiency

Use of the right PPE can reduce the threat of hazards in your warehouse. As a result, there will be fewer serious accidents. PPE will also give your workforce the peace of mind that they are safe and cared for, motivating them to work harder. Over time, this work ethic will pay off, leading to an increase in efficiency.

The following PPE should be worn in warehouses:

• Hard hats
• High visibility clothing
• Safety goggles
• Gloves
• Face masks
• Uniform
• Safety boots

 Another way of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace is to make your workers aware of the hazards from the start. Examples of this include:

• Placing signage around the warehouse, e.g. where slippery surfaces may be present
• Ensuring drivers meet vehicle safety requirements
• Keeping aisles free of obstructions
• Enforcing the maximum safe working load (SWL) when lifting
• Training staff in line with health and safety regulations, including fire safety

Enhance safety

The Warehousing Health and Safety Forum and HSE suggest that if all warehouse workers, managers and employers concentrate on meeting the government’s health and safety targets, risks can be significantly reduced. Over time, this will result in a safer working environment.

PPE should be considered in conjunction with risk assessments, to ensure staff and visitors are able to carry out their daily activities without facing safety hazards. Risk assessments are crucial to determine threats in the workplace, which will then be managed by use of PPE.

With the right PPE in place, bacteria and germs are far less likely to spread from one person to another. This will lower the possibility of cross-contamination – a major threat in warehouses. If cross-contamination occurs, it can cause your workers to fall ill.

With enhanced safety measures in place, your staff will take less time off work due to sickness. This will allow your business to focus on workplace performance and reach its full potential.

Further steps you can take to protect your workers

Professional warehouse cleaning

You may also choose to implement a new cleaning regime in an attempt to maximise safety in the workplace.

Here at ICE Cleaning, we provide warehouses with personalised cleaning regimes to help them meet the necessary health and safety regulations. With years of experience in the field of industrial cleaning, we’re specialists at what we do.

Health and safety is a core part of our business. As such, all our technicians are required to wear the correct PPE whilst at work to protect themselves, other members of staff and the wider public from potential hazards. 

To raise awareness of warehouse safety, we’ve created a health and safety checklist for warehouse managers and operatives. The checklist provides guidance on what you can do to improve the safety of your warehouse, as well as how to protect your workers from dangers.

To find out more about our warehouse cleaning services, give our friendly support team a call on 0208 066 0360 today. Alternatively, simply email us on enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk with your details and we will get back to you within 24 hours.

From start to finish, we put you – the customer- first. We aim to exceed client expectations on every job, whilst following the correct health and safety regulations, and will not leave the site until you are 100% satisfied.