In warehousing environments, safety must be taken seriously, not only for the protection of employees and compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations but also to improve overall workplace efficiency. Industry experts agree that safety in the workplace can drive performance; an Aberdeen Group study confirms that safety is a critical measure of success for any industrial organization. For industrial operations, the safer you work, the more effective you can be.

Safety precautions such as steel guard rails are, for example, the best way to protect personnel, machinery, inventory, and buildings from impacts. However, such solutions can be expensive to implement, especially when a plant layout has very long lanes.

So what are some quick, easy, and inexpensive ways to drive warehouse safety? The following is a list of 10 simple warehouse safety hacks that facilities can use to keep employees safe, productive, and efficient:

1. Floor marking tape: With floor marking tape, warehouses can mark traffic lanes to help warn workers to stay out of forklift aisles and machine areas, as well as away from running conveyors and other potentially dangerous work zones. Inexpensive and easy to install, floor lines can designate a lane for forklift travel and lay out the accepted transport aisle; they’re ideal for warehouses where forklifts and workers must coexist, near traffic lanes and in other areas where people should be directed to the right area. Tape is a good start, but is only enforced by personal discipline. Other measures may be taken to further control access to these areas.

2. Guard rails: When used in addition to tape at corners, guard rails can prevent forklifts from cutting corners and force drivers to pay attention while approaching corners. Drivers won’t swing inside or outside the corners, which can influence the way they drive the entire distance.

3. Aisles for employees (or forklifts) only: One simple way to separate people and vehicles in the warehouse (and greatly reduce the 20,000 serious injuries a year caused by forklifts) is to limit some aisles to pedestrians or forklifts only. This can be done with floor tape, but is most effective when done with a railing that presents a solid barrier between industrial traffic and workers.

4. Bright clothing for workers: To increase alertness and ensure drivers see workers afoot, warehouses should require workers to wear bright clothing. Many safety companies can provide low-cost, brightly colored safety vests that can help increase visibility.

5. Upgraded lighting and clear aisles: Cluttered aisles are unsafe in several ways. First, they can cause visual clutter that makes it difficult for workers and forklifts to see each other. Second, they may cause forklifts to maneuver in ways that are dangerous to people, but also to rack. Many pallet rack collapses are caused by forklift collisions. Clean aisles are an inexpensive way to help prevent both of these critical safety issues. Lighting works the same way — dark aisles make it much more difficult for lifts and people to see one another. Clear, lighted aisles are a must for forklift operations.

6. Ergonomics: One often-overlooked safety consideration has to do with a warehouse’s ergonomic design. A design based on the premise that everything in a workstation should be within reach of the operator is not only the most efficient use of the floor area, but also the most efficient use of people because it means workers won’t have to strain or take any steps to be in touch with the parts or machinery they need. Warehouses and shop floors should flow in ways that are inherently safer. They should also require the least worker movement possible, since tired people tend to make more mistakes and get injured more easily.

7. Safety and anti-fatigue mats: The benefits of safety mats are threefold: 1) improve working conditions, 2) reduce fatigue, and 3) make any operation safer and more efficient. Safety (including ergonomic mats; electrically conducive, multi-guard carpet mats; high-visibility safety mats, etc) can serve a variety of different purposes. Non-slip mats are a must in oily, wet, or slippery conditions.

8. Cable protective covers: In a warehouse or distribution center, fire hazards can arise when protective insulation is worn off electrical writing, which can happen when repeated traffic (foot or forklift) eats away at the wiring covering and exposes bare wire. With cable protective covers, cables and cords are never exposed to weight-bearing stresses.

9. Safety curtains and screens: In addition to enhancing safety and productivity in the warehouse, curtains and screens also offer flexibility in work-zone layout, noise reduction, and temporary work-zone creation. A variety of these screens can work for many operations. For instance, if a warehouse has a noisy compressor, it’s relatively inexpensive to screen it off, which reduces the noise. This helps in both a safety and productivity sense. Facilities can also reduce spark spray, or control airborne debris with vinyl curtain walls and other equipment that helps keep areas segmented.

10. Safety lights and signs: It may sound like an obvious safety precaution, but proper signage is crucial for reminding workers of dangerous conditions. Benefits of safety lights and signs include helping to prevent dangerous collisions and injury and alerting appropriate worker cautionary actions, etc.

With OSHA regulations becoming more and more stringent every year and potential safety hazards arising at practically every turn in a warehouse or distribution center, it’s imperative for facilities to make safety a priority. The above 10 warehouse safety hacks can be instrumental in helping to keep employees safe, productive, and efficient.

Scott Stone is the E-business manager for Cisco-Eagle Inc., a provider of integrated material handling and storage systems for industrial operations. Scott has over 23 years of experience in industrial operations and marketing.