Safety and Warehouse Design: How Are They Linked?

Effective warehouse management balances operational efficiency with a secure work environment. The layout and design of a warehouse play a crucial role in achieving that balance — an organized and well-planned space can enhance output while ensuring employee safety. For example, clear signage, proper lighting and logical traffic flow are some of the crucial elements for safe warehouse planning.

Let’s explore warehouse design safety and how you can optimize your facility.

How Are Warehouse Design and Safety Linked?

The warehouse and storage industry has a high number of workplace accidents. For example, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported an injury rate of 5.5 out of 100 workers in warehousing and storage in 2022. In 2022, the BLS also recorded 24,960 forklift accident cases involving days away from work, job restriction or transfer. Considering safety in the design phase helps warehouses create a low-risk work environment that mitigates the risk of falls, slips and other injuries.

Additionally, warehouse design for safety can help facilities better meet regulations, such as OSHA warehouse regulations in the U.S. and CCOHS warehouse inspection recommendations in Canada. It can also contribute to greater productivity and lower costs. When workers are injured, these situations also impact the business, costing it significant amounts of money — $125 million in compensation costs in Canada every year, to be exact.

Overall, creating a warehouse design focused on safety can help keep workers safe, healthy and protected by mitigating common risks, all while helping organizations improve compliance and lower costs.

Common Warehouse Safety Hazards

Understanding common safety hazards in warehouses is the first step toward safe design.

• Trips and falls: Hazards like uneven floors, cluttered walkways and poor lighting can cause workers to trip and fall.
• Forklift accidents: Improper forklift usage, limited visibility and congested aisles can result in serious injuries.
• Falling objects: Causes of falling items can include improper inventory stacking and overloaded shelves.
• Fire hazards: Warehouses often store flammable materials, so fire safety is crucial. A lack of fire exits or proper ventilation can increase fire risk.
• Lifting injuries: When employees handle heavy goods without the proper tools or techniques, it increases the risk of musculoskeletal injury. 
• Collapsing racks: Overburdened pallets can give way, causing injuries.

Thoughtful warehouse design can address hazards and create a safer workplace environment.

Top 3 Tips to Maximize Warehouse Design Safety

Safe warehouse design contributes to more than employee well-being — it increases productivity and operational efficiency. Here are three tips for designing or redesigning your warehouse to prioritize safety:

1. Conduct a Warehouse Risk Assessment

Effective warehouse design begins with an audit of the current layout. To conduct a warehouse risk assessment, follow these steps:

• Identify hazards: Conduct a comprehensive walk-through of the warehouse to identify safety threats. Potential risks include tripping hazards, unsafe equipment and chemical storage.
• Evaluate risks: Assess the probability and seriousness of each identified hazard. Consider employee exposure, potential outcomes and existing safety measures.
• Implement controls: Establish measures to address each identified risk. Solutions may involve enhancing signage, installing safety barriers or supplying personal protective gear.
• Prepare for emergencies: Establish emergency response protocols for fires, chemical spills and accidents. Establish training programs to educate employees on emergency procedures.
• Conduct periodic assessments: Review and adjust the risk evaluation at regular intervals. Reevaluate risks following incidents or as warehouse operations evolve.
• Record observations: Document the risk assessment outcomes, control measures and training. Maintain these records for regulatory compliance and future reference.

Comprehensive risk assessments and proactive control measures can help warehouses ensure employee safety.

2. Implement Warehouse Design Safety Solutions

Specific design features that can enhance safety in warehouses include:

• Clear signage: Use straightforward markers to help guide employees and visitors. Mark aisles, emergency exits and hazard zones to reduce confusion and prevent accidents.
• Proper lighting: Adequate lighting in the warehouse ensures visibility, reducing accident risk.
• Well-defined walkways: Designing separate walkways for pedestrians can prevent collisions and enhance safety.
• Secure storage: Store heavy items at lower levels to prevent overreaching and injuries. Use sturdy shelving and racks to secure items and prevent them from falling.
• Safety barriers: Installing guardrails or safety nets can protect employees from injury.
• Emergency response equipment: Ensuring easy access to emergency measures promotes quick action. Equipment includes fire extinguishers, first aid stations, emergency showers and eye wash stations.
• Operator training: Provide safety training for all staff on equipment handling, emergency procedures and hazard awareness.
• Regular maintenance: Keep the warehouse clean and organized to prevent tripping hazards. Conducting regular inspections helps to identify and address any safety issues.

Incorporating these design features creates a safer warehouse environment and reduces accident risk.

3. Consider Warehouse Layout Optimization

By optimizing warehouse layout, you enhance efficiency, productivity and safety. Consider the following strategies as you plan your design:

• Maximize space usage: Arrange storage areas to maximize space and minimize unnecessary movement. Use vertical space with tall shelves or a mezzanine. When stacking items high, using the right equipment for safe item retrieval is important. All storage solutions should meet stability and load-bearing requirements.
• Create a logical flow: Design a layout that allows for the smooth movement of goods and personnel. Avoid bottlenecks and create clear pathways for forklifts and workers.
• Consider item placement: Employing smart placement methods lessens the distance workers need to travel to pick products. This technique improves efficiency and lowers accident risk.
• Designate zones: Divide the warehouse into zones based on storage, retrieval or processing to organize and streamline operations.
• Ease traffic flow: Design clear pathways to prevent collisions between pedestrians and vehicles. Separate areas for pedestrians and forklifts to reduce interaction.
• Integrate technology: Incorporating technologies like IoT systems can monitor warehouse conditions in real time, helping to identify potential hazards and reduce human error. Warehouse management software (WMS) has become a necessity in material handling. WMS improves efficiency while increasing safety through threat detection and enforcing security protocols.
• Plan for evolution: Design the layout to accommodate future growth and changing needs. Use modular shelving or flexible racking systems for easy adjustments.
• Create clear emergency exits: Ensure clear, unobstructed and accessible emergency exits so workers know exactly where to go in an emergency.
• Improve visibility: Strategic mirror placement enhances visibility. Target blind corners or intersections to allow for better observation of oncoming traffic.
• Include training areas: Specific areas for training and drills foster a culture of safety awareness.

Optimizing space in a warehouse means making the most of every available inch. A well-thought-out warehouse layout optimizes space usage while ensuring worker safety.

Enhance Warehouse Safety With Alta Material Handling

Warehouse design and safety go hand in hand, and having a trusted partner to assist you throughout the design process can be essential. Alta Material Handling is here to help you create a safer work environment.

We prioritize safe warehouse operations through effective solutions like our PeakLogix system. This cutting-edge technology analyzes fulfillment and distribution data to optimize warehouse design safety. Beyond the warehouse itself, we understand that operators are the lifeblood of the material handling industry, which is why we also offer comprehensive operator training to create safer working environments. Investing in education ensures employee safety and minimizes product and rack damage.

With locations across North America, you can find a branch near you. Contact us today to learn more about our innovative warehousing solutions and how we can assist your organization.