How to keep from being injured in a distribution warehouse

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Safety Vest

Distribution warehouses can be dangerous places to work, especially if you have been used to working in an office. There is constant heavy machinery and heavy lifting to be done, for a start. Which can lead to some serious injuries if you are not being careful.

In a recent study it was shown that 20% of warehouse workers end up being injured in the workplace. Of that 20% it was found that 1 in 3 were fired after reporting the incident. If you don’t want to find yourself in this statistic, then you might what to think about how to keep yourself safe while working in the distribution warehouse.

One of the most important things you can do for yourself, to keep yourself safe, is to have a good night’s sleep. There is nothing worse than trying to focus on any job, without the proper amount of sleep. Your brain just won’t co-operate with you. It can also really slow your reactions down, which means if you have to react quickly, you most likely won’t react quickly enough. When you are working in a place that has heavy machinery you want to have your wits about you at all times. If you are feeling a little under the weather, then you might find yourself taking some over the counter medications. To try and ease your symptoms. If you do, always read the label. Some may warn you not to operate or be around heavy machinery, due to drowsiness being a side effect. If the label warns you of this, don’t ignore it. If you do, you might not only find yourself in danger, you might be putting other people are risk too.

Safe work clothesYou should always try to wear safety equipment, when available. Steel cap toes might seem like an over the top idea, but when something heavy falls onto your feet, you will be thankful. Fluorescent jackets and other clothing are also a very good idea. This is so that people will be able to see you at a distance. The last thing you want on a night shift is for someone driving cargo around to not see you. If you dress yourself properly then you will find that many potential injuries can be avoided.

Wrist SupportsIf you don’t work around the big machines, you could still be at risk. Quality checkers often find that after a few years, doing the same job, they get something called repetitive stress injuries. Which happen after you move the same joints and muscles over and over again. There is no cure for these types of injuries and you risk flaring them whenever you have to move the injured area. To prevent this from happening, however you can buy supports, that you can wear. These are relatively cheap compared to how much then can help you.

You will also find, no matter where you work, that warehouses all have their own protocols. You should find safety posters and warnings, posted all over the walls. You should always take the time to read these instructions, as they will have useful information about how to keep yourself safe. Some of the time obvious things that you might otherwise forget about, and other times they will provide information that isn’t so obvious. Like how to get out of the building should there be a fire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repetitive_strain_injury