The Importance of Proper Moving and Handling Training

When it comes to running a good warehouse or loading bay, one of the most important things to dedicate time to is providing your staff with proper moving and handling training. The nature of these kinds of jobs requires your staff to have a degree of physical fitness, strength and capability. However, without sufficient warehouse safety training, the healthiest person you know can become bedbound in a matter of seconds.

This article will explore why material handling requires comprehensive training, whether you work in modular docks, a furniture store or a national retail site.

Following equipment and manual handling legislation

There are a lot of different outcomes that can come from poor warehouse training, but one of the most important things to keep in mind is that it could lead to legal complications. Good training is essential for compliance with companies like OSHA, especially when it comes to the use of powered industrial equipment and safety tools. Similarly, plenty of industrial tools, like forklifts or reach trucks, can only be operated by certified team members.

Also, no one ever wants to have to defend themselves in a legal setting, but providing proper training is essential if you ever find yourself staring down the barrel of that situation. If you’ve properly trained your team, it’s harder to blame you and your company if anyone hurts themselves.

Manual lifting training reduces injuries and accidents

While legal protection is essential, the real priority should be ensuring the safety of your staff. Industrial accidents can happen in many workplaces, but loading bays and warehouses with lots of material handling account for a disproportionately high figure. Moving and handling training is essential to ensuring your staff have the lowest possible chance of hurting themselves or others, or indeed damaging equipment.

Vital processes to teach your staff include:

● Proper lifting techniques, such as keeping the back straight and driving from the legs, rather than jerking with the spine, arms and torso
● Fall prevention protocols, such as how to properly use restraints, safety chains and guard rails
● Proper trailer processes, such as ensuring they’re fully secured in place, and trailer creep or separation is kept to a safe minimum
● Sufficient load securement advice, ensuring everything is properly wrapped, strapped and braced before it’s moved

The last thing you or any of your staff need is someone getting hurt, or worse, on the job. This could compromise your workforce, along with having life-changing consequences. So make sure everyone is properly equipped to do their work as safely as possible.

Warehouse training is vital for protecting inventory and equipment

The wrong manual handling processes can lead to damaged goods and equipment, which can be very expensive and have a significant impact on the bottom line. For example, without proper stacking and weight distribution, goods packages can become compressed or crushed. Similarly, overloading lifting aids can result in damaged or destroyed equipment, which will likely take said load with it.

Everyone must understand the importance of caring for stock and equipment properly, as replacements and repairs aren’t the kind of things that can be paid for willy-nilly.

Good training results in good workflows

Being safe and well-trained isn’t just about preventing injuries or damage; it has a knock-on effect that benefits the business from top to bottom. Introducing Standard Operating Procedures is essential for ensuring a consistent standard of work across staff members, which is why training needs to cover more than just safeguarding. With the right instruction from the start, your staff will find their way into mutually beneficial careers within your ecosystem. Don’t skimp on moving and handling training; it will cost you later.