In 2014, at least 77 people lost their lives whilst carrying out their work. That figure could be reduced if warehouse managers placed a strong
focus on safety. This focus is even more important than the number of
physical measures taken. This is according to the shippers’ organisation EVO on its website.
Companies would spend a lot of money
in improving safety, but they do not measure in advance what the
effect of these measures will be. Nor do they assess what effect it will have on
operating profit. Without that insight, measures are often
be in vain. As an example, EVO cites working with a forklift truck.
A forklift truck driver may be well trained, but if colleagues acting as
pedestrians do not know what is expected of them, this can lead to dangerous
situations.
EVO is calling on warehouse managers and other managers to take the initiative in this area
. The necessary insight, the coherence of measures, influencing behaviour and
the integrated approach can then be taught.
Tips
In an earlier article, expert Tom van Blom gave tips on increasing safety awareness among employees. Managers can implement all kinds of measures, but that does not mean that employees are aware of the risks. One way would be to form observation groups. An employee working all day hardly has time to observe how his colleagues are doing. Therefore, form observation groups that observe during high-risk situations.
Furthermore, it pays to get employees involved in thinking about safety To create more support among your employees, you will have to involve them in the plans you have as an organisation to improve safety.
In addition, Tom from BLOM recommends sharing near misses - how often does something almost go wrong? By dwelling on these situations, employees can learn from each other and the risks come to attention, but make it clear that sharing near misses is not meant to punish anyone, but rather to learn from each other.
More tips to increase safety awareness among your employees? Read thefull article by Tom from BLOM.
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