Perhaps you are currently working in another area of the manufacturing and distribution industry and are keen to progress your career to the next level. Conversely, maybe you are just reaching the end of your high school education and want to throw yourself into manual work as soon as possible. Regardless of your motivations, continue reading to learn everything you need to know about working in a warehouse, from pickers to management.
Don’t Try Too Hard to Impress
First and foremost and indeed, applicable when starting a new job in any industry field, the temptation to go above and beyond in terms of how much work you take on, how much over time you agree to, and moreover, how much you can carry at any one time is hard to resist.
However, you must never, under any circumstances, place too much physical strain on your body, and even if your employer is (wrongly) more than happy to let you pick up as many extra shifts as possible, you must always retain a good work to life balance.
Machinery & Equipment Safety
Depending on the exact role within the warehouse facility you intend to apply for or have been involved in for a number of years, you will be required to wear the right PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) to suit the job.
However, when it comes to the expensive and often exceedingly large items of machinery, as a warehouse worker, you would expect the standards of health and safety to be covered by your employer.
Should you be in the unfortunate situation of suffering trauma or injury due to a breakdown or poorly-maintained item of machinery, then you may well be eligible to file a faulty equipment lawsuit against the company.
Take Opportunities to Progress
The best managers and leaders of companies, especially in the manufacturing and distribution industries, are the ones who started at ‘the bottom’ and worked their way up.
Maximizing your chances of progression, even if your sole motivation is not so much related to the nature of the work at your current level, but more so in a more managerial role, will keep you engaged and motivated and increase your enjoyment in the role.
Familiarize Yourself with Warehouse Management Software
Essentially, the innovative and impressive warehouse management software programs have revolutionized how organized a warehouse can be and how safe and well-protected warehouse workers are in their job roles.
Whether you intend on progressing in this particular career pathway or not, it would be incredibly helpful to familiarize yourself with warehouse management software.
The key advantages of utilizing such software include, amongst a host of others, the following:
- Greatly enhanced levels of customer service and subsequent customer satisfaction levels
- Streamlined processes from the picking to the packing stage
- Cleverly optimized warehouse space
- Higher levels of productivity from warehouse employees
- Much tighter control on stock levels and inventory management
Always follow Best Practices for Warehouse Safety
No matter the nature of the products and goods stored in the warehouse you work in, no matter the size of the awkwardness of the boxes, it is highly likely that stock needs to be regularly moved from one place to another regularly.
It is absolutely vital for your personal levels of physical health and wellbeing to always follow best practices for warehouse safety and, in particular, to use safe lifting tips and techniques every single time.
Over a quarter of all lawsuits filed against warehouse managers and companies are directly related to back and shoulder injuries, so make sure that you have been sufficiently trained in lifting and placing before you start.
Safe Lifting Techniques for Warehouse Workers
Looking at safe lifting techniques for warehouse workers in more detail in order to refresh your memory, they can be succinctly broken down into three main instructions.
Firstly, it is essential to always bend your knees when attempting to lift anything, even if the box or package you intend to move is particularly light, as it is often not the heaviness of the object that causes injury but more the strain on the body. Never bend your body at the waist, as bending correctly at the knees transfers the weight to your legs, the strongest part of your body.
Secondly, as soon as you bend your knees to go down towards the floor, you must always strive to keep your back as straight as possible and not to bend over so your torso is over the package. At the same time, also make sure that your hips are pressed down towards the floor.
Thirdly, if you find that heavier and bulkier items are stored on the lower shelves or even on the floor, you should also reverse the system, as it is much harder to pick an item from the floor rather than an elevated shelf.
