10 Steps to a Safe Warehouse

Transforming Warehouse Logistics: From High Risks to Conscious Safety

Warehouse complexes traditionally remain high-risk zones due to the intensive movement of material handling equipment, work with racking systems, and the constant presence of external contractors. Transitioning from formal compliance with instructions to a proactive safety culture requires a systematic approach. During the webinar, Danone experts Valeria Shulyak and Alina Kuzmicheva detail a ten-step model for developing a safe environment in finished goods warehouses, implemented as part of the corporate WISE (Work in Safe Environment) program.

The Foundation of Safety: Leadership and Technical Standards

The speakers identify conscious management commitment as the first and key step in building the system. This is realized through the signing of local safety policies tailored to the specifics of each site. However, leadership must be supported by a reliable technical foundation. To this end, 13 basic safety standards have been implemented, compliance with which is monitored through multi-level checklists.

Risk Management When Working with Racks and Equipment

The speakers demonstrate by example how technical standards change the physical environment of the warehouse:

• Racking equipment: installing protective nets on the first tiers and side surfaces, mounting stoppers to prevent pallets from falling. The condition of the racks is monitored through a color-coded damage marking system and daily inspections digitized on tablets.
• Material Handling Equipment (MHE): equipping forklifts with impact sensors. In the event of a collision, the equipment is blocked, and only the shift supervisor can restart it using a special chip, ensuring immediate recording of the incident. To monitor the condition of lead-acid batteries, TrakIQ (temperature monitoring) and Aquamatic (automated water topping) systems are used.

LOTOTO for Trucks Standard

Special attention in the presentation is given to the specialized lockout standard when working with vehicles. The procedure strictly regulates the actions of truck drivers: mandatory installation of wheel chocks, placement of the driver in a safe zone, and physical handover of ignition keys to a warehouse employee (or locking them at the dock gates). This completely eliminates the risk of unauthorized movement of heavy trucks during loading.

Audits, Contractors, and Dynamic Risk Assessment

Safety culture is viewed as a 13-piece puzzle, where managing contractors is a distinct challenge. Since the company does not have its own fleet, transport company drivers are integrated into the overall system through strict rules: recording violations forms a unified rating that influences tender decisions, up to blacklisting.

Two types of audits are used to monitor the system: technical and culture audits. The speaker emphasizes that 90% of an audit's success lies in field communication with employees. Under restrictive conditions, the company successfully implemented the practice of remote inspections using augmented reality (AR) glasses, allowing the auditor to assess the site and communicate with personnel remotely.

From Paper Matrices to Dynamic Assessment

The risk assessment procedure has been moved from a formal plane to a practical one. In addition to the classic 5x5 matrix and the creation of a hazard register, a dynamic risk assessment tool has been introduced. This is a skill that allows a line employee to analyze the changing situation "here and now" and make safe decisions before starting a non-standard operation.

Engagement and Incident Investigation

Any incident is investigated using the "5 Whys" method to find root causes, and the results are recorded in the global digital system RSWeb. To maintain a constant focus on safety, various engagement formats are used: from monthly thematic presentations conducted by shift supervisors to professional forklift driver competitions (Forklift Rodeo) and monitoring the employee Health and Well-being index.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to technically implement the LOTOTO standard when interacting with external heavy truck drivers?
• What digital solutions (impact sensors, telemetry) help reduce accident rates when operating forklifts?
• How to organize a remote warehouse safety audit using augmented reality glasses?
• How the contractor rating system works and in what cases site access blocking is applied?
• What dynamic risk assessment is and how to train warehouse personnel to apply it in practice?