The best way to keep your warehouse operating smoothly and safely is with these simple tips.

Equipment

Be sure to stock your warehouse with the necessary equipment to stock and ship. Your employees will need access to plenty of shelf space or vertical racks to store inventory. Inventory should be neatly organized and handled with care. Use bins or carts with heavy duty wheels to easily move large loads from your loading dock to the shelves. Your loading dock should have room for trucks to deliver shipments using lifts or ramps to offload. In addition to service carts and hand trucks, you may also need pallet jacks or forklifts for moving larger orders. Anyone driving the forklift needs to be certified and licensed to do so for safety reasons. Set up an area for packing orders equipped with tables, stretch wrap machines, industrial scales, box cutters, and boxes.

Safety

It is crucial to prioritize safety and responsibility in your warehouse. Once your equipment is ready to be used, be sure your employees know how to use it properly. Without the proper safety training, your employees will be putting themselves and others at risk. They could become injured handling heavy-duty machinery and damage products in the process. Hold safety demonstrations often to remind individuals of proper etiquette in the warehouse. Eliminate safety hazards with reflective tape and guardrails to mark off restricted zone or high traffic areas. Hang up signs with safety reminders or what to do in case of emergency. Proper clothing will also contribute to keeping your warehouse safe. Enforce a safe dress code by mandating all employees wear a helmet, gloves, work boots, and a reflective vest.

Organization

Your warehouse is kept safe and equipment can be easily used when your warehouse is well organized. Be sure to always clean up any mess right away and keep the floor space clear. Any clutter left in aisles can cause a safety hazard and slow down production. Use signs or colored stickers to clearly label work zones and inventory. Provide maps to new employees and hang a large one on a central wall for reference. Optimize the flow of your warehouse by organizing your floor plan. Consider the space you have available and set stations up in the order of operation. When inventory arrives, it should easily move to storage where it can be organized and picked for packing out orders.

Every warehouse must prioritize safety and efficiency. Follow these tips to be sure your warehouse is operating at its best.