Wonderful warehouse or wearisome work pit? You decide
29th October 2015
Warehouses are the great unloved areas of business. They’re the equivalent of Harry Potter locked under the stairs by his nasty muggle family. You know all the magic is happening there, but you’d rather not acknowledge it.
While offices are revamped to impress clients, workers in warehouses are given little more than an added selection of custard creams on the staff room table.
But if you improve the quality of your warehouse, you’ll see a dramatic increase in your workers’ productivity levels and a boost in morale. After all, investment shows how much you care about a warehouse – and, in turn, about its employees.
So do you want a little more magic in your warehouse? Then try a few of these tips.
A little more lift
Are your forklift trucks sputtering like 19th century contraptions? Do they clatter around with the grace of an elephant struck by a tranquilizer dart, toing and froing seemingly at random when you start up the engine?
Ageing machinery will eventually slow to a halt, and it won’t be the only thing that stops dead – so will your productivity.
Give your forklift trucks a regular, rigorous check-up to see if they’re running at optimal capacity. And if they’re not? It’s time to upgrade to a better model.
A refurbished forklift can be purchased for a fair price if you choose the right provider. So shop around and give your forklifts some extra reach.
Safety first
No matter how much of an adrenaline junkie you are, you probably don’t want to find yourself surfing through a hail of exploding machinery and rickety warehouse flooring – especially during your nine-to-five.
Every year, thousands of people fall foul of dangerous and badly maintained warehouses – and, for some, their accidents prove fatal.
Make sure you’re not operating one of these shoddy workplaces. Hire a safety specialist to check over your workplace with a fine toothcomb. With their help you’ll be able to plug up any nooks and crannies and make your workers’ safety your main priority.
Big break
A break is the time your staff should be able to refuel. Yet most warehouses do very little to keep their staff rooms looking fresh. And with a shoddy lunch break, your workers will be about as productive as a sloth having a nap.
Finesse your staff room with a decent selection of snack machines, seating areas and (if you’re feeling fancy) a big-screen telly.
With a better staff room, your employees will be peppier during their working day – and who doesn’t like to see a happy worker?
