Warehouse & Storage FAQs | Safe Access

What is safe access in warehouses and factories?

Safe access refers to the measures, procedures, and equipment used to ensure workers can safely navigate a warehouse or manufacturing facility, including designated walkways, stairs, ramps, ladders, and safe access to elevated areas like shelving and loading docks.

Accidents, injuries and ill health are reported to the health and safety authorities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).

It is important to provide a safe and healthy environment for your employees and visitors. This should be the starting point for good health and safety management within your warehouse.

The movement of goods and materials involves the use of a wide range of vehicles and accounts for a large proportion of accidents in warehouses. It is important to have a safe system of traffic management. This should include methods and procedures for arrival, reception, unloading, loading and movement of vehicles within the premises. People and vehicles should be segregated as far as is reasonably practicable.

Floors and traffic routes should be constructed and designed to withstand the use to which they may be subjected, e.g. physical damage from lift trucks and wheeled equipment or corrosion from chemical substances.

Barriers should also be capable of bearing the general overall load to which they may be subjected and any point loading from stock, equipment and traffic. Traffic routes should have adequate strength and stability, taking into account of the traffic passing over them. Raised floors and gantries should be designed specifically for the task in hand and should not be overloaded.

Tadweld can help you navigate the legislation and offer solutions to help you keep your workforce safe. 

Storage areas, aisles and gangways should be clearly marked out on the floor. Gangways should be wide enough to ensure that mechanical handling equipment can be easily manoeuvred. Pedestrian guarding and separation call for robust solutions, designed for the risk associated with the area.

Find our full series of warehouse and storage safe access FAQs here.