Safety within the workplace

Impact-resistant security for people, vehicles & infrastructure

Safety within the workplace

Running a healthy company starts with maximising safety within the workplace - that just makes sense. Apart from the personal trauma, every accident results in temporarily reduced capacity, significant repair costs and, in the worst case, downtime for an entire production or distribution line. The consequences of a work-related accident affect the entire operation of a company - not just in economic terms, but also psychologically. In other words, the profitability of a company depends directly on its investment in the safety of its employees. In many cases, work-related accidents forklift accidents, falls on slippery floors, stairs or from heights, damage to the infrastructure, etc.

It is a misconception that the work floor is becoming increasingly safer in Belgian private companies. An annual report by Fedris, the Federal Agency for Occupational Risks, indicates that the increase in the number of work-related accidents is still continuing to this day. Another alarming increase can be seen in the number of accidents that result in anticipated permanent disability as well as fatal work-related accidents. Statistics Netherlands confirms that the same story also applies to the Netherlands. Here, the number of work-related accidents has remained practically constant, most of which are of a physical nature.

In other words, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure the safety of employees as much as possible. Especially in industry, storage and transport, wholesale and retail trade, and construction, these figures are still far too high. This is why each year various sectors roll out large-scale campaigns to make people aware of the dangers present on the work floor.

Raising awareness is one aspect, but then you have to rely on the goodwill and awareness of all the employees. This is something you do not have much control over. Even if this concerns employees who consistently play an exemplary role in terms of safety, circumstances can always arise where they might veer off the prescribed path. Which is why it is necessary to give general safety a helping hand by providing crash protection and other safety equipment.

Hazard at workplace risk analysis

We spend a large part of our lives at work. That is why it is important for a workplace to do everything in its power to ensure the safety of its employees. A risk analysis is the first step towards a safe workplace. As an employer, it is your job to map out all the risks and then translate these into a traffic safety plan. You can read more about how best to draw up a risk analysis here.

Warehouse traffic safety plan

It is important to carry out a risk analysis to ensure a safe work floor. This is followed by the drawing up of a traffic safety plan. This kind of plan is necessary to guarantee traffic safety in your warehouse. A well-thought-out traffic safety plan reduces the risk of work-related accidents and sets out clear guidelines for your employees. Find out more about the importance of a traffic safety plan in a warehouse here.

Warehouse safety rules

In addition to the traffic safety plan, it is important to draw up clear and unambiguous instructions in consultation with the people on the work floor. Although there are general safety regulations applicable to every warehouse, specific points of attention apply per sector or company. If you are in any doubt about a particular regulation, then the principle of "better to be too cautious than the other way round" applies.

Safety regulations do not have to get in the way of the practical handling of the processes within the company. For every potential safety problem, there is a safety solution that barely compromises efficiency, if at all.

Smooth floors and stairs

In many warehouses or production halls, you inevitably have to deal with dirty floors. Especially surfaces that come into contact with moisture (e.g. in the food sector)can cause slips, with all the consequences this entails: from painful falls among employees, to bits of material sliding and toppling down, to situations in which you lose control of a vehicle. Read here how you can reduce the risk of slipping.

Safety and forklifts

Forklift accidents are becoming increasingly more common in the workplace. These accidents can be easily prevented with the right infrastructure in place. For more than 20 years, Boplan has been developing innovative solutions that optimise safety within the workplace. Especially in the field of forklift traffic, Boplan is a global pioneer and has built up an unrivalled wealth of expertise Find out how we can improve the safety of forklift traffic here.

Safety posts

The strategic positioning of safety posts can significantly increase the level of safety in the work environment. By using polymer safety posts you can cordon off zones for vehicles, protect corners of passageways, and cordon off traffic flows without vehicles sustaining any damage as a result of a collision.

This is also the strength of plastic safety posts over their steel counterparts: in the event of an impact, there is little or no permanent damage to the post or the vehicle.

Corner protection

Vehicles or forklifts pass through your warehouse every day. So it is important that you protect sharp corners. This will prevent damage and protect your infrastructure at the same time. Corner protection and protective bumpers at the most risky places will save you from repair costs and material damage. Read here how you can best protect sharp corners.

Rack protection

Shelving racks are an essential part of a warehouse. They keep all your goods safe and sound. That is until a forklift has an unfortunate confrontation with such a rack. Then the consequences are often incalculable. To protect your people, material and goods against potential danger, it is advisable to invest in high-performance rack protection. Our rack protectors are flexible and guaranteed to withstand rough handling. Discover more about our tough rack protection here.