Are you a warehouse manager or operator who is seeking innovative and advanced ways to enhance the safety of your warehouse facility? If so, you’re in the right place.
Safety is important in an operational warehouse for many reasons. Improved safety measures in your warehouse aim to primarily protect workers while also keeping your warehouse legally compliant, improving productivity, and mitigating the risk of accidents.
Typically, heavy machinery, equipment, and potentially hazardous materials can be found in a warehouse. In this case, it is particularly important to ensure safety measures are implemented and regularly reviewed to prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Using technology to improve your warehouse safety can further help prevent accidents, monitor safety conditions, and help you respond to potential hazards.
As innovations in warehouse safety continue to advance, it is important that warehouses adopt new technology to maintain regulatory compliance, a competitive advantage, and increased efficiency.
Keep reading to discover the benefits of wearable technology, such as smartwatches and safety vests, in monitoring workers’ health and safety conditions as well as the potential of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, warehouse drones, automated inventory control systems, data analytics, and Advanced Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) on improving safety measures.
Wearable technology
Wearable safety technology has been designed to be worn on the body and mitigate risk in the workplace. In a warehouse, wearable technology significantly enhances the safety of workers while also improving overall warehouse operational safety.
Common types of wearable technology that can be found in a warehouse include smart watches, safety vests, and safety helmets.
One way that wearable technology enhances safety is by monitoring the conditions of warehouse workers through their heart rate and body temperature. This allows smart tech devices to detect fatigue and send emergency alerts to emergency services and listed contacts. If your warehouse workers work long shifts or overnight, this can be particularly beneficial.
Additionally, some wearable technology devices are equipped with sensors to alert workers of moving vehicles to reduce the risk of accidents.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The term Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of connected devices that exchange data with each other and the cloud. In workplace safety, IoT uses technology to monitor health and safety conditions, such as air quality, temperature, and sound as well as the activity of workers.
This allows warehouses to monitor and understand the physical health of their workforce and can limit an employee’s risk of harm. IoT sensors can be attached to equipment, tools, and workers to provide real-time visibility.
With IoT, your warehouse can benefit from improved and enhanced safety measures with asset tracking, asset management, inventory optimisation, predictive maintenance, and automation.
Warehouse drones
Warehouse drones are typically used in smart warehouses for inventory management to deliver accurate inventory data. However, warehouse drones can also be used to enhance the safety of your warehouse.
Drones can perform safety inspections of infrastructure with ease to reduce the manual process of requiring workers to climb ladders and scaffolding for inspection. This reduces the risk of falls and injury. Additionally, drones can be used for surveillance, further reducing the risk of workplace accidents.
Smart warehouse drones are also equipped with hazard detection sensors to identify gas leaks, fires, and structural damage. If a worker was to become trapped or lost in the warehouse for one of these reasons, drones can use thermal cameras to locate an individual quickly to notify emergency services.
Automated inventory control
With automated inventory control, you improve the safety of your warehouse by improving organisation and accuracy to minimise the risk of accidents related to miscounted and misplaced items as well as overstocking issues.
Automated inventory control also relieves workers of manual inventory checks reducing physical strain. Some automated inventory software can even monitor the conditions of storage equipment to notify workers when repairs are required, and safety conditions are not being met. This helps to promote safer storage solutions and practices as well as preventing potential equipment failures.
Data analytics and artificial intelligence
Data analytics and artificial intelligence can help to optimise your warehouse layout, inventory management, and workflow processes. It can also be leveraged to quickly detect equipment failure, hazards, and human error to avoid disturbance and disruption.
With access to data analytics and AI technology, you can gain valuable insights, identify early warning signs to prevent accidents, and implement proactive safety measures. Through AI and insightful data analytics, your warehouse safety can be significantly improved.
Advanced Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
Advanced Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) is critical to the improvement of safety in your warehouse. By streamlining your warehouse processes, WMS management systems ensure straightforward safety solutions by reducing common workplace hazards.
With automation that allows you to avoid common challenges in a warehouse, WMS mitigates risk and relieves workers from physically demanding tasks.
Additionally, inventory is 100 per cent accounted for, eliminating the risk of lost stock and the associated risks associated with poor inventory management.
How Optima WS can help
At Optima Warehouse Solutions we provide cost-effective warehouse solutions and software for all kinds of businesses.
Established in 2001, we focus on providing high-quality yet affordable warehouse management software systems for warehousing and logistics companies, as well as WMS solutions to other sectors such as packaging, manufacturing and e-commerce.
With excellent knowledge of the complexities of today’s busy warehousing environment means that we have developed easy-to-use yet powerful Warehouse Management Software packages that will make your warehouse more efficient.
To find out more about warehouse operations and how they can support your business, get in touch today!
