Invest in safer warehouses to win the war for talent, Linde MH report advises

Logistics companies that invest in safer warehouses for their employees are winning the war for talent, according to a report produced by Linde Material Handling UK.

The more enlightened businesses are also committing to a “no blame” safety culture, which is having a positive impact on staff morale and corporate reputation, the report notes.

The report - A Smarter Approach to Safety in the High-Tech Warehouse - also found that technological solutions play an equally important role in helping to create a safer working environment in which hazards can be identified and dealt with before they cause injuries or even fatalities.

The research is based on contributions from industry leaders and experts. It looks at how companies are taking a more proactive approach to improving safety, rather than being prompted to act by an incident.

It also focuses on how to integrate automated safety vehicles into existing facilities; ways to make forklift operations safer; and how safety can be improved using task-based risk assessments of forklift operations carried out by frontline staff.

The report also looks at how to develop a more open safety culture, by coaching the leaders rather than forklift drivers and other operatives.

It also recommends senior leadership commit to coaching frontline managers on how to make a difference and how to better listen to the workforce.

The research calls for a whole-industry commitment, from the largest companies to SMEs, to recognise that safety is as important as operations.

The need to safeguard against complacency around automation is also paramount, the report found, adding that it will require a real change in attitude in terms of logistics training.

Gavin Carslake, Linde MH UK’s safety sales manager, said: “Safety products are not the only answer. Starting with a positive safety culture and building on that with preventative measures really demonstrates that safety is being taken seriously.

“Historically, customer requests for safety solutions were unfortunately in response to an incident that had already occurred. More reassuringly, it’s good to see customers taking a more proactive approach.”