Warehouses are potentially dangerous and often noisy, dusty, and dirty. Air quality can be a factor, and heat and fumes can create hazards. Keeping warehouse employees safe and well takes a strong mix of culture, compliance, and the right technology to support safety initiatives, according to Getac.

As of this writing, no fewer than nine workers in the transport, postal, and warehousing sector have died at work. When it comes to disease and injury, warehousing falls in the top five sectors based on the number of serious claims.

This proves the importance of maintaining and even improving worker safety. Getac says technology can “help achieve this and it’s important to choose the right hardware and systems to maximise outcomes.”

Frank Baldrighi, Getac business development manager, claims: “Today’s warehouses are exponentially safer, cleaner, and more productive than they used to be.”

Modern systems and approaches to safety have resulted in slightly lower fatality rates since 2003 in the manufacturing industry. According to Getac, the number of serious claims “for workplace industries in manufacturing has steadily fallen since 2011 but, overall, remains very high.”

Rick Hwang, Getac president Rugged and Video solutions business group, says: “Manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics organisations can benefit substantially by incorporating technology into their operations with the express purpose of improving safety as opposed to just raising productivity.”

Getac identifies five ways how technology can help improve worker safety:

1. Communication tools
High-speed communication and real-time insights let employers know the status of air quality, heat, and specific risks so they can address these hazards before they cause an injury.

2. Hazard identification
On-site physical safety management through apps and software on mobile devices can help organisations ensure they’re identifying and rectifying hazards as they arise. Workers can take pictures of hazards and complete mobile safety checklists and site inductions to ensure everyone is protected.

3. Virtual and augmented reality
Virtual reality and augmented reality can help with training employees on how to cope with dangerous situations without actually putting them in danger. Augmented reality can let technicians or experienced workers coach others through processes such as machine repair without having to increase the number of people in the environment. This can be useful if the repairs are dangerous, conditions are hazardous, or in the case of social distancing requirements.

4. Drones
Drones can be used when sites are too dangerous for people to investigate, such as if there is a gas leak or other chemical spill. Drones can capture information and let clean-up teams determine the safest course of action without having to be exposed.

5. Automation and robotics
Automation improves safety by removing the burden of heavy, manual work from people. Robots can do the heavy lifting, leaving people free to focus on more creative tasks. This is particularly useful in understaffed warehouses where the pressure to maintain productivity can “create a culture where some risk is accepted in exchange for getting work done more quickly. Adding robots to the workforce can alleviate the pressure and reduce the risk.”

Robots can also help in production facilities where people no longer need to pick up the materials they need for their portion of the assembly. Instead, robots can bring them the parts they need, when they need them, reducing distance and thus reducing fatigue and the risk of accidents.

To fully leverage these technologies, warehousing organisations need to deploy rugged solutions that can withstand the harsh environment of a warehouse. Simply choosing a consumer-like tablet or notebook to interface with technology will create more problems in the long run. Instead, organisations should choose purpose-built devices that can withstand drops, shocks, vibration, noise, dust, and temperature extremes.

For example, when completing safety checklists and inductions, using a rugged device with a highly readable screen can ease the process. Lighting conditions vary in warehouses, so a screen that’s designed to be readable in harsh glare or dim light is necessary. It’s also important to have a responsive touch screen that can work well with gloves, wet hands, or a stylus.

Devices should also include a camera to capture images of hazards and repairs to make verbal or written descriptions unnecessary and to improve the accuracy of reporting. This makes it easier to digitalise operations and keep track of issues that need to be rectified.

With augmented and virtual reality applications “becoming more commonplace, it’s important to choose devices with the processing power and connectivity required to run these applications reliably. Consumer-grade devices don’t necessarily meet the standard, and their inability to withstand the warehouse environment makes them a poor choice in this scenario.”

Baldrighi emphasises the importance of “putting the right technology, which can impact warehouse worker safety, including reducing lost time due to injuries and fatalities. Using the right hardware to access that technology is a crucial piece of the puzzle.”

He adds: “It’s essential to select a provider that builds truly rugged solutions from the ground up and can stand by those solutions with comprehensive, independent certifications such as Military Standard (MIL-STD), Ingress Protection (IP), ATEX, American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and Salt Fog certification. This should be backed up by a fully rugged warranty as standard, including accidental damage.”

He concludes: “The result is a safer, more productive workplace with reliable technology that stands up to the rigours of the warehouse environment.”