The Role of Line Marking in Warehouse Safety
Warehouses are getting bigger and more automated. While this can bring undoubted benefits to those who own and run them, these changes also bring new challenges to managers. One of the most important of these is making sure that the modern warehouse remains a safe place to be for those people who still work there.
In this article, we’re going to explore how good line marking remains an essential part of health and safety in the modern warehouse and how Northern Marking can help your business be a safe place to work.
Why can warehouses be dangerous?
- Automation
Many modern warehouses use robotics and other high-tech solutions to streamline their procedures and reduce labour costs. Nevertheless, most warehouses still have a significant human element and fast-moving automatic devices can pose a risk to the unwary operator.
- Forklifts
Forklifts can represent a significant safety hazard in any warehouse, whether from the risks of them colliding with people to the danger of stock being accidentally dropped from high racking.
- Pressure
Human operators in a warehouse are often under pressure to carry out their tasks within a prescribed time period, meaning they can be rushing around without fully concentrating on what’s going on around them. This can open up the potential for all kinds of hazards, including collisions, tripping and inadvertently entering dangerous areas.
How does line marking improve safety in a warehouse?
Line marking in a warehouse creates clearly designated pathways and zones that operators know they can use safely. On the other hand, it can also indicate areas that shouldn’t be entered, such as those where forklifts and automatic machinery are in use.
The use of bright colours – such as yellow for safe passages and red for danger – ensures these areas are clearly visible and likely to draw the attention of even the busiest operator.
Of course, for your warehouse line marking to work effectively, you also need to ensure your staff is fully trained to understand why it is there and how it keeps them safe. Any breaches of your safety rules should be treated very seriously as a ‘near miss’, with those responsible undergoing immediate refresher training to reinforce their importance.
It’s also important to remember that a busy warehouse with heavy footfall can lead to line markings becoming faded or damaged over time through wear and tear. So once you have your line marking in place, remember to schedule in regular checks to ensure it’s still doing its job, and then refresh or renew it as necessary.
Warehouse line marking solutions from Northern Marking
Northern Marking is a specialist provider of high-quality warehouse and factory marking to businesses across the North West, including in and around Manchester.
We can work with your warehouse management team to create warehouse line marking that helps to keep your team safe and to ensure your operations run smoothly and efficiently. We’re also here when your existing warehouse line marking needs refreshing after years of use.
Northern Marking is based in Manchester, but provides services to clients in the following areas; Huddersfield, Blackburn, Rochdale, Preston, Warrington, Bolton, Stockport, Leeds, Wakefield, Chester, Harrogate, Blackpool, Wigan, Liverpool, Burnley and beyond. Northern Marking is a leading road marking company, providing the following services; line marking, school & playground markings, warehouse markings, electric car parking space marking, line removal, white lining and car park markings.
Northern Marking is a leading road marking company, providing the following services; line marking, school & playground markings, warehouse markings, electric car parking space marking, line removal, white lining and car park markings.
Get in touch with us now to find out more or to ask for a free site survey.
