As much as we don't like to think about it, accidents in the workplace do occur. These common occurrences will negatively impact the level of efficiency at which a company operates. Because a warehouse is the location where items are arranged, stacked and stored, top priority is keeping the structure and the goods contained in it as safe as humanly possible. This can be accomplished with the use of warehouse steps.
High industrial shelves are the norm in warehouses. As such, some means of reaching the goods on those shelves is needed. But ordinary ladders won't do. A quality set of warehouse steps that suits the application can ensure the safety of many of the other elements of warehouse work.
What Are Your Options For Warehouse Steps?
Although warehouse steps may bring to mind use for only warehouse situations, they can actually be used in many other applications as well. Libraries, stock rooms, retail stores, shops, and factories all use warehouse steps to make the picking of small items from a great height infinitely safer.
The 'family' of warehouse steps includes the warehouse ladder. The strongest of its kind, warehouse ladders are usually constructed of steel and include handrails on either side, which lead up to a platform. The warehouse ladder also consists of locking wheels that lock automatically. This allows the ladder to be moved easily, but only requires the weight of a person or a small adjustment to engage the wheel locks and secure the entire structure.
A larger version of the warehouse step is the access platform. This structure can be single or double-ended, and is ideal for those situations where access to hard-to-reach storage areas is required. The single-ended access platform offers the same handrail, platform, and wheel or castor features as can be found on warehouse steps, with one difference: the platform is considerably larger. The double-ended access platform consists of two sets of stairs at either end with the large platform in the middle.
The round step is basically a step stool, but with an ingenious safety feature; when stepped on, the round step is instantly secured when it is stepped on. Once the weight is lifted, the round step can be easily moved to where ever it is needed.
The aluminum warehouse step is a variation on the larger version. Although it also contains handrails like its more industrial counterpart, it is far lighter and therefore easier to move from one warehouse location to another.
What to Consider When Using Warehouse Steps
All workplaces should put the safety of their workers at the top of the list. To this end, all of the proper accessories, such as hard hats, gloves, and goggles should be in use. As well, ensuring that only those who know how to operate warehouse steps are using them is a good idea. Regular inspection of all equipment in the warehouse should most certainly include any warehouse steps. Those steps, which are damaged, should be clearly marked as unusable so that there is no misunderstanding about their condition. Finally, ensuring regular communication with all warehouse workers will ensure knowledge of warehouse operations at all times.
Posted in Health and Safety