23 logistics parties have compiled a new Healthy and Safe Warehouse Code. Warehouses can use this code, consisting of good practices, to make sure they comply with the many laws and regulations. The parties that compiled the code emphasise that people are the key to 'breaking' the code.
The Healthy and Safe Warehouse Code is an initiative of EVO and BMWT. Together with other industry organisations, training institutes, advisers, insurers and companies in the field, they worked for a year on drafting the code. The result is a set of good practices and practical guidelines that companies can use to create a healthy and safe working environment.
'Companies get too much leeway'
The code is said to be needed because companies with warehouses are still struggling to create a safe working environment. Laws such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act set a number of requirements for safety in warehouses. Yet companies are allowed to decide for themselves how to meet these requirements. According to EVO and BMWT, this creates some ambiguity. For instance, companies are not advised in what they can do to prevent collisions between forklifts and pedestrians, nor are they told how to avoid dangerous situations around loading docks.
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Man plays key role
The parties involved emphasise that people play a key role in warehouse safety. "That sounds obvious, but in practice it turns out not to be the case. Many companies invest in technical aids, but they are useless if people on the floor do not use them anyway. After all, even with a safe forklift, it is possible to drive unsafely. In short, people will have to change their behaviour," BLOM Opleidingen, which also helped to draw up the code, says in a press release.
Three pillars: people, technology and organisation
The Healthy and Safe Warehouse Code is therefore based on three pillars: people, technology and organisation. This means that issues such as culture, communication and also training play a decisive role. According to the parties, the signing of the code by both employers and employees also contributes to safeguarding safety policy.
Starting with feedback
The Healthy and Safe Warehouse Code will be officially launched on Tuesday 13 September during the 'Trends in Warehousing' conference. To managers who want to make a start now, the parties advise that they start by improving communication with employees. "Think about evaluation interviews, but also giving feedback during a tour of the warehouse. And giving feedback does not just mean criticising, but also handing out compliments and rewarding good behaviour," reads the press release.
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