Safety in the workplace requires strong policies, observant workers, and knowledgeable management. It also requires the right tools and equipment to supplement these policies and to enable better protections for workers and management alike.

Nowhere is this more true than in warehousing situations. Thanks to the unique safety concerns of warehouse environments, there are a number of warehouse safety products that are either highly recommended or downright required to keep your warehousing facility as safe as possible. Here’s a short list of what safety products your facility might need.

Safety Rails

There’s no bigger danger than a forklift wandering into areas where they shouldn’t be. Safety rails prevent this by physically barring entry to these locations, stopping forklifts from unintentionally entering areas where there’s foot traffic or equipment that could be damaged by a rampant forklift. Safety rails can either be permanent structures or modular protective barriers that can be placed or removed as needed.

Rack Guards

The ends of pallet rack aisles are often the site of many an accident due to unintentional damage. Turning too tightly with a forklift and colliding with an upright can lead to collapse, the result being possibly catastrophic damage and injury. Providing protection to these racks in the form of guards can lessen the amount of damage done or even prevent it completely. Rack guards can also be used to protect intermediate upright posts from damage as well.

Machine Guards

No matter what type of other machinery you have in your warehouse, it’s important to protect your productivity by preventing accidental collisions between machinery and forklifts. This not only keeps you from having to repair or replace costly machinery or related infrastructure, but they also provide protection to workers operating these machines at the time of a collision.

Door Track Guards

Loading docks are often the site of accidents, and many of these involve damage done to overhead doors as loads are placed in or removed from trucks and shipping containers. Door track guards can protect the most vulnerable areas of your overhead door tracks, preventing damage to doors that can warp them and leave them unable to open and close properly. With the frequency of these types of workplace accidents, door track guards can often pay for themselves when you take into account the price of repeated service calls for repairs!

Forklift Safety Cages

We’ve all been there: it’s almost a guarantee that you’ve had to remind workers that, no, it’s unsafe to be lifted to height by standing on the forks of a forklift in order to reach the top of a pallet rack. A forklift safety cage is the right way to do so, as these cages meet OSHA requirements for handrail height.

The Last Word on Warehouse Safety Products

Not an exhaustive list, these have been just a few of the most specialized pieces of warehouse safety equipment available today. Keep in mind that other safety products will also be needed, from personal protective equipment for workers to fire extinguishers, spill cleanup kits, hazardous safety signage, and beyond if you want the ultimate in warehouse safety.