A Guide to Preparing Your Warehouse for an Inspection

A Guide to Preparing Your Warehouse for an Inspection

Warehouse owners have to get their facilities inspected by official inspectors or local compliance overseers every year or twice every year. The whole warehouse is scrutinized thoroughly by a team, who will proceed to make notes of any compliance issues or safety problems. Although preparing for an inspection can slow down work and take time, it’s important to remember that a regular inspection is beneficial to your business in a variety of ways.

A regular inspection ensures safe conditions within your warehouse and makes sure that you are not in violation of compliance guidelines that can result in large fines for your business. If you are going to face an inspection soon, here are some ways for you to prepare for it so that you pass with flying colours.

Check all your architectural features

The first thing that you should do is to ensure that the physical structures of the facility are sound and not in need of repairs. Make sure that your windows, stairs, floors, and railings are firmly secured and devoid of any cracks or imbalances. Doors should be checked to see if they are operating smoothly. Ensure that your insulation is functioning properly and that there are no risks of gas leaks or water damage. Check if your locks are functional and that all your architectural modifications are approved.

Ensure that your products are stacked properly

A racking inspection is a crucial part of overall warehouse inspection. Make sure that you are using racks that comply with operational standards. They should be stored and secured in a way that there is no risk of injury from falling containers. Part of complying with safe racking is to ensure that the equipment you use for accessing the goods is well-maintained. Ladders and structures such as landings or mezzanines and heavy machinery such as forklifts and shelving robots should be functioning without glitches or maintenance issues.

people walking inside a warehouse

Make sure that chemicals are stored safely

If your warehouse uses dangerous chemicals or stores flammable, caustic, or toxic material, it is extremely important that they are housed safely. Proper storage containers secured with double layers should be used. Leak containment mechanisms should be in place. The warehouse needs to display appropriate signage and handling instructions. All your fire safety equipment should be in compliance and inspected regularly.

Look out for employee health

The overall working conditions of your warehouse is also important. If your employees are working in cramped spaces that are poorly ventilated, this is going to be noted during the inspection. Your lighting should be optimal and noise levels as low as possible. If heavy machinery is used in your warehouse, the vibration levels should be kept in check. Employees should always be provided with proper safety equipment. Bathroom facilities should be adequate and clean for everyone to use.

There are many things to take care of before an inspection takes place. Overall, it’s always better to look out for these issues preemptively rather than haphazardly do it right before the inspection. Having a well-maintained and safe facility is beneficial to your business in many ways.

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