Warehouse Risk Assessment Checklist
There are all sorts of warehouse hazards in the workplace, from falling boxes injuring workers to forklift truck accidents and fire risks. Conducting a warehouse risk assessment is vital for any type and size of warehouse in the UK to protect employees. Identify dangers and build an effective safety management plan with this warehouse checklist.
You must carry out risk assessments in warehouses to comply with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This includes reviewing all warehouse hazards and putting in place control measures. They should minimise and eliminate the risk of injuries and incidents where possible to protect workers.
Meet your legal and moral obligations with the professional warehouse risk assessment checklist created by our health and safety experts. It aims to help you identify warehouse hazards and inform your risk assessments. Tick off all relevant hazards then use our risk assessment software to create unlimited risk assessments online.
Warehouse health and safety checklist
Heavy machinery, working from height, and moving vehicles all pose health and safety risks in warehouses. These include manual handling, fire risks, and slips, trips, and falls that could cause all sorts of injuries and illnesses. It’s important that you look at every potential warehouse hazard and plan to control it effectively.
Get help creating a risk assessment for warehouse activities with our professional health and safety checklist. We’ve pulled together many of the possible hazards you might find in your warehouse so you can easily check them off against your workplace. Identify any warehouse hazards and use this information to create efficient risk assessments.
This checklist isn’t a risk assessment itself but a guide to inform one. Answer all the questions about your warehouse and assess the results to form effective risk assessments that help safeguard workers. Hazards have been grouped together for ease. Use the below warehouse health and safety checklist for any UK workplace.
Warehouse slips, trips, and falls hazards
Are there any obstructions on the warehouse floor that could cause a slip, trip, or fall from:
- Stored materials, work pieces, storage bins, or pallets?
- Electrical equipment such as fan heaters and pressure cleaners?
- Trailing leads supplying power tools, portable pumps, and vacuum cleaners?
- Loose mats and/or decking around loading equipment?
- Access routes blocked by general debris or waste bins?
- Open access panels in the floor?
- Unguarded stairwells?
- Unguarded edges on ramps and loading bays?
- Uneven floors?
- Cleaning equipment such as vacuum cleaners or floor polishers?
Falling object hazards
Are there any objects that could fall on people such as:
- Goods or tools on shelves and racking?
- Unstable freestanding stacks of goods or materials?
- Objects carried by overhead gantry or hoists?
- Loose electrical or mechanical equipment like lighting, pipework, or ventilation equipment?
- Loose ceiling tiles?
- Ladders or access equipment?
Warehouse electrical hazards
Is there any risk of persons receiving an electrical shock from:
- Loose or broken sockets, switches, light fittings, conduits, and trunking?
- Worn, frayed, or split cables or conduits?
- Missing lids on trunking and control panels?
- Trailing leads?
- Overloaded extension leads or multi socket adaptors?
- Exposed cables into plugs, computer equipment, kettles, fan heaters, microwaves, food and drinks dispensers?
- Exposed live parts of electrical switchgear (controls, motors, or pumps)?
- Is any item of portable electrical equipment overdue for a portable appliance test (PAT)?
- Is any item of electrical equipment poorly or dangerously positioned?
Electrical equipment hazard checklist
Substance-related hazards
Are there any substances used that could cause harm from contact or inhalation, such as:
- Cleaning or degreasing chemicals?
- Solvents in inks, dyes, adhesives, and paints?
- Dusts from powdered goods or supplies?
- Smoke or exhaust fumes from vehicles or combustion processes?
- Welding, brazing, or soldering fumes?
- Asbestos in fire retardant panelling, ceiling tiles, or pipe lagging?
- Do the procedures for cleaning up organic and chemical substance spills need improving?
- Does the disposal of waste products from spills need improving?
- Are there any new substances being used since the last review?
- Has any staff member complained of any persistent or increasing allergic reactions like running nose or eyes, coughing, sneezing, or itching skin?
Warehouse machinery hazards
Is machinery installed and used in a safe manner to minimise danger to others, such as:
- Are there any moving or rotating parts of machinery that require guarding?
- Does existing machinery guarding need repair or replacement?
- Can goods or materials be ejected from moving machinery?
- Do you have to raise your voice above the working noise?
- Do workers require protection against the effects of vibrating tools or machinery?
- Can exposed hot surfaces burn skin if contact is made?
- Do airlines and/or compressed gas lines need repair or replacing?
- Can machinery move without warning?
- Has any new machinery been introduced since the last review?
Warehouse fire hazards
Are flammable materials stored or used in a manner that could cause a fire, such as:
- Any flammable substances on or near sources of heat or direct sunlight?
- Any flammable substances that are not correctly stored in flameproof cupboards (like solvents and adhesives)?
- Any potential for a flammable substance to be spilled onto sources of heat or electrical equipment?
- Flammable waste materials left in waste bins overnight?
- Covered convector heaters?
- Chemicals that can react or spontaneously combust?
- Oily paper towels or rags disposed of carelessly?
Ventilation hazards
Are there any hazards associated with ventilation, such as:
- Insufficient ventilation, natural and forced?
- Fumes getting into the area caused by vehicles (for lorries or fork-lift trucks)?
Manual handling and workstation hazards
Do working positions pose a hazard that could cause muscular strains, such as:
- Poor lifting positions?
- Heavy or large and awkward materials?
- Bad posture over benches or conveyors?
- Repetitive twisting or turning?
- Does any warehouse equipment show signs of damage or imminent collapse (like desks, chairs, benches, shelving, and steps)?
Hygiene hazards
Do sanitary provisions require improving to reduce the risk of infection or contamination, such as:
- Hot water temperature requires raising to remove legionella risk (60°C)
- Toilet and hand basin cleaning requires improving?
- Improved hand washing and drying facilities?
- The use of rubber gloves for personal protection?
- Does the provision of barrier creams and hand cleaners need to be improved?
Warehouse accidents and first aid
- Does accident treatment require improving?
- Is there a requirement for a (or additional) trained first aider?
- Do those trained as first aiders require refresher training (required every three years)?
- Do accident records need reviewing?
- Is there anything in the first aid boxes past its use by date?
- Are extra first aid boxes required?
- Are there any specific requirements for accident treatment?
Any identified warehouse hazards should be evaluated using a risk assessment. Try our health and safety software with a free 15-day trial and create unlimited risk assessments for any warehouse. Use templates, make your own, edit and store risk assessments online with speed and ease.