Minimising the impact of workplace collisions
Collision accidents in the workplace can injure workers and cause extensive damage to your premises, stock or equipment. The confines of a busy warehouse, with constant movement of goods, is a high-risk environment, so it is particularly important that you put measures in place to keep everyone safe, which includes minimising the impact of workplace collisions.
Legal responsibilities
As an employer, you are responsible for making sure that your warehouse or other premises are safe for machine operators and other workers, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 specifies that as the occupier of the premises, the employer is also responsible for the safety of visitors to their site. Protecting the workforce and visitors from impacts and collisions is a huge part of warehouse safety.
Risk assessment
A risk assessment should be carried out on the hazards and risks in your workplace. This will ensure that you identify all areas that require protection products for the safety of workers and avoid damage to stock, equipment, and buildings.
Areas that may require impact protection include:
- Corners
- Columns
- Walls
- Racking
- Pipes
Why is impact protection important?
Impact protection ensures that hazards such as potential collision points in your work premises are clearly indicated, to alert workers to avoid them. Some impact protection products also provide a layer of cushioning to help avoid damage to buildings, vehicles, and equipment, as well as to avoid injury to people.
When stock is spoiled, your losses include not just the cost of the stock, but also the potential loss of business, if further stock is not available to fulfil the order.
Injuries to workers in premises such as a warehouse can be very serious, so it is vital to provide adequate protection to minimise the risk of and consequences of any collision accidents in the workplace. In addition to the human impact, accidents can result in lost workdays as well as the risk of legal action.
Many accidents in a warehouse environment involve forklifts, with around 1,300 workers hospitalised each year as a result. Some of these accidents could be avoided with better signage, impact protection and training. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of accidents involving warehouse forklifts was on the increase, and in some cases, compensation claims ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Things to look for in impact protection equipment:
- Appropriate colours to ensure that it is highly visible – usually yellow and black.
- Easy-to-attach impact protection guards – e.g., snap-on, self-adhesive, magnetic, or with adjustable fixings.
- Durable items, with specialist features where needed – e.g., acid resistance.
Browse our wide range of products for impact protection to help you optimise safety in your warehouse.