How to Reduce Product Loss in Your Warehouse or Facility

Fixed Rack Safety Nets; photo by Perry Giedraitis; Personalizationmall.com

Do you find yourself wondering how to reduce inventory shrinkage due to product loss in your warehouse? There’s a lot at stake when your job involves maintaining an efficient and safe work environment. Often product loss results in having to complete a damaged stock form and removing the non-sellable item from inventory. Making efforts to increase safety and reduce product loss can help to protect your workers and stabilize your budget. In addition, it will keep you on track to pass any upcoming warehouse safety audits.

Thorough Employee Training

Your staff can’t keep themselves or their workspace safe if they aren’t informed about best practices. Designate company-wide processes that are clear and simple to understand. That way, there are fewer chances of misunderstanding. Hold regular staff meeting and ask for feedback on what challenges employees are facing throughout their regular workdays, especially as it concerns product loss or damage.

Be sure to document these processes well and that they are accessible for reference. In addition to ongoing training, an employee handbook, an online portal, or specialized training materials are good options.

Implement Safety Protocols

Preparing for common safety hazards is a good way to prevent them before they occur. And in the event an accident does happen, you should have safety protocols in place. The best warehouse safety practices concentrate on recognizing and decreasing worker exposure to dangers. Accident prevention is the most important aspect of any safety program. This applies to all workplaces, but it’s especially true in distribution centers and warehouses, where so many accidents happen.

As technology and industry standards change, you will have new considerations for your protocols. So, make sure to review your protocols and update as necessary.

Ensure Proper Loading

In addition to training and proper protocols, make sure your employees have what they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. Look at the tools, machinery, and signage used at your warehouse:

• Are your workers using the correct protective gear for loading?
• Are storage and load-bearing limits clearly displayed?
• Are your racks secured and balanced?
• Is all equipment and machinery in good working condition?

Apply Visual Inspection and Checks

SafetyCulture.com defines visual inspection as “…a common quality control method of inspection that uses only the naked eye to spot defects or issues. Trained safety and quality control specialists across different industries perform visual inspections to help standardize best practices as well as reinforce compliance with safety regulations and industry standards.”

Making sure everything has a space. Whether that’s done by painting lines on the floor to make designated areas for your equipment, labeling your supply closets, or putting your employee training documents in an easily accessible area, make it simple for your employees to keep following the safety practices you’ve put in place.

Installing easy-to-spot equipment helps with visual checks too. Our pallet rack safety solutions are bright yellow for just this reason – it makes visual checks much easier, especially if your warehouse has tall racking or long aisles.

Keep Inventory Secure

While the products on your storage racks are in your warehouse, it’s important to make sure they stay there until you move them. Workplace injuries and accidents, especially due to falling objects, cost US businesses billions of dollars a year. Practical solutions, like rack straps and nets, can reduce product loss and on-the-job injuries. Also, they keep flue space and the work floor clear of obstructions.

It’s easier to reduce product loss and keep your warehouse running efficiently when you have a system in place to help ensure both. Adrian’s Safety Solutions can help you with products designed to improve the way you protect the items on your racks and the people who handle them. Request a sample for a free rack safety strap and see for yourself.

(This blog was originally published on July 6, 2018 and has since been updated.)