A distribution center is an infrastructure that protects goods; therefore, the safety we implement for it should be adequate to maintain the productivity and quality of operations.
The risks inherent to the activities we carry out at distribution centers force us to develop protection activities because an incident may result in both immediate —related to health and wellness, intermediate, and long term consequences —relating to productivity and efficiency.
The risk focal points are determined by the characteristics of the warehouse, products, handling methods, shelves, transportation equipment and their interactions, cleanliness, order, added-value processes and, most of all, human factor (neglecting safety measures).
To achieve a safe space, we must establish risk management strategies and prevention policies in place, as well as carry out frequent audits to detect deviations. Next, we show some activities we can carry out to maintain good safety levels at the distribution center:
Personal Protection Equipment:
Signage:
Warehousing Processes:
Forklifts:
Maintenance:
Staff Training:
Other Safety Issues:
Asset Protection
There are two main risks that might take place at the distribution centers relating to the protection of goods: pilferage and invasion. To avoid these and to be prepared if they ever happen, the company must coordinate with the industrial park’s administration, the authorities, and its sector’s organizations.
In addition, we must take internal fraud into consideration; this is the fraud coming from leaking information. To deal with this issue, we must implement prevention, control, and detection methods.
Safety and Regulations
Health and safety at work are regulated by the country’s Constitution, the federal Public Administration Law, the Federal Labor Law, the Federal Metrics and Standards Law, the Federal Health and Safety at Work Regulations, and by the official norms published by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, which set the minimum necessary conditions to be met to prevent work risks. There are 41 official regulations divided in five categories: safety, health, organization, specific and product related.
The company’s safety criteria should include the compliance to these legal regulations and the design of strategies that aim to preserve the most important resource to every operation: workers.
Solistica analyzes the risks and special features of our clients’ distribution centers to be able to give them the best advice regarding safety. In addition, we apply all the federal regulations and standards to guarantee the wellbeing of every worker.