Due solely to the size of modern-day warehouses, warehouse cleaning can be an overwhelming task. Warehouses can become messy and disorganised if not regularly maintained, hampering the day-to-day workflow and increasing costs as well as operating costs.
A warehouse that is clean and organised can improve accuracy, boost productivity and lead to higher job satisfaction. It’s important to ensure that your warehouse is kept clean and safe at all times; here are some tips to help you along the way.
Hire a contract cleaning company
Warehouses are complex places full of machinery and stock, and it can be difficult to work around this if you aren’t a cleaning specialist. Additionally, relying on employees to schedule time for cleaning can limit their productivity and lead to work not being completed properly.
Hiring a contract cleaning company eases these worries; experienced cleaners will be able to work around your production team whilst completing all cleaning to the highest standard possible.
They will have both the knowledge and the equipment to cater to any warehouse environment – they can use innovative cleaning methods that won’t pose any harm to employees, as well as being appropriate for the complex machinery present.
For more information on how a contract cleaning company can help your warehouse, contact us today.
Have a cleaning plan
Set a strict schedule and stick to it – base your schedule around the productivity of the warehouse to ensure it won’t be disruptive, and carry out your cleaning on this regular basis. Setting a consistent and well-planned schedule can help to balance resources and timing in an efficient manner, as well as executing the cleaning process smoothly.
Clean as you go
Even if you hire a contract cleaning company, it makes sense to encourage staff to pick up after themselves. This helps to maintain the standard set by the cleaning company, but also keeps the area hazard free.
In a similar vein, employees should be trained to report spills or hazards quickly. This will prevent injuries from occurring and is good practice.
Ensure adequate health and safety training
Since the beginning of the pandemic, proper health and safety training has grown in importance.
Ensuring all staff are kept up to date with the proper regulations is key to safety, so staff should be appropriately trained on how to operate in the warehouse.
Staff should regularly wash their hands, wear protective clothing where necessary and always be vigilant to the dangers present in their workplace. They should also be aware of the appropriate fire safety measures in case of fire.
Conduct regular risk assessments
Carrying out a risk assessment will enlighten you to the potential for risks in your workplace, and will give you valuable insights on how to avoid them. Regularly update this risk assessment in order to catch new risks and prevent these.
Provide proper clothing
If staff members require PPE to keep them safe at work, this should be provided for them by the employer. Whether this means safety shoes, hi-vis vests or a hard hat, staff should be trained on how to maintain and wear these. This will help to protect them from the many risks present in the warehouse.
Turn over inventory
Inventory will sit gathering dust if it isn’t regularly turned over. Outdated stock is a magnet for dust and grime, and can make the warehouse extremely difficult to clean if it isn’t managed. It will also create clutter if not regularly rotated or sold, so try your best to keep on top of inventory to prevent this.
Clean bins daily
Warehouse dustbins should never be out of check. If bins aren’t cleared out, visitors and employees might dump litter in other places they shouldn’t.
This can cause inconvenience to your operations and your employees and can encourage a reduction in productivity. Ensuring waste is effectively managed can lead both to increased productivity and increased job satisfaction.
