What are the Top 10 OSHA Inspection Areas for Warehouse Safety? | Apex Safety Spotlight
How Would Your Facility Score on Workplace Safety?
We all appreciate the work of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) work to keep our workplaces safe and productive. It’s been 40 years since the establishment of OSHA, and the drop in workplace fatalities and serious injury have precipitously dropped despite an increase in workforce participation. This drop directly correlates to safety guideline adherence and practices established by OSHA. It may also have to do with the fact that OSHA can issue a citation and assess fines for safety violations found in an inspection or after a workplace accident.
In January of 2020, OSHA raised the fines for non-compliance.
- $13,494 per incident (max) for violations considered serious, other-than-serious, and posting violations.
- $9,639 (min) – $134,937 (max) for willful violations where the employer intentionally failed to follow an OSHA standard or showed disregard for employee safety.
Hefty fines are not economically wise when worker safety and productivity are also a cost. Taking a fresh look at the top ten areas of concern from an OSHA perspective may help revitalize your warehouse safety commitment and save you and your team big.
Knock-Knock, Who’s There?
If an OSHA compliance officer were to stop by your facility today, these are the 10 Safety Standards they will inspect.
Warehouse Safety Top 10
- Forklifts
- Hazard communication
- Electrical, wiring methods
- Electrical, system design
- Guarding floor & wall openings and holes
- Exits
- Mechanical power transmission
- Respiratory protection
- Lockout/tagout (LOTO)
- Portable fire extinguishers
OSHA inspectors can, and often do, visit a facility without notice. There are several ways to ensure that your facility is always prepared for that knock on the door.
- Train new workers and regularly refresh existing team members on facility safety. Encourage safety with worker incentives for preventing incidents.
- Give your team the tools they need to succeed, i.e., PPE, ergonomic support equipment, hearing and eye protection, & the Apex Rack Repair App
- Regularly maintain forklifts and other warehouse vehicles
- Install safety signage and keep it up to date with facility updates, and traffic flow or rack system changes
- Conduct emergency safety training & drills
- Schedule an annual Warehouse Pallet Rack Audit and Safety Inspection with the Apex PROs
A fresh set of eyes on your operation is valuable, particularly if those eyes are certified, trained pallet rack inspection and warehouse safety professionals, otherwise called the Apex PROs. Call for a one-time inspection or set up a regular schedule to ensure ongoing pallet rack and warehouse safety. Here’s more about the Apex PROs…
Take Control of Your Warehouse Safety
The Apex Rack Repair App and Warehouse Safety Program put you in the driver’s seat of warehouse safety. Just choose the best audit and inspection services for your operation: self-guided rack inspection, the Apex PROs, or both!
The Rack Repair App is a free downloadable app that guides the user through a pallet rack inspection. If you have a system strike or simply want to regularly inspect your pallet rack, the Rack Repair App is the tool for the job. Use it to gather all the system specs, damage pictures, and notes. At the end of your inspection, upload your damage findings to the Apex PROs for a professional evaluation. We will provide a comprehensive report and a non-biased custom repair kit, if necessary. It’s the fastest way to address rack safety concerns.
If you prefer, leave it to the Apex PROs to conduct a thorough pallet rack audit, rack repairs, and warehouse safety inspection. Our rack damage experts are highly trained and certified by SEIZMIC engineering. The Apex PROs can spot repeat damage areas and other potential safety concerns with regularly scheduled visits and make recommendations to prevent future warehouse accidents.
Find the Rack Repair App on the App Store.
Apex Rack Repair App:
