Warehouse Safety

Overview

Warehouses and material stores are essential to the supply of spare parts, chemicals, equipment and materials for oil, gas and industrial operations, but they also present a wide range of hazards. Forklift and vehicle movements, high racking, manual handling, falling loads, stored chemicals and gas cylinders, fire loads and poor housekeeping can lead to serious injuries, fires and property damage. Because warehouses are often busy and staffed by mixed teams of employees and contractors, clear rules, good layout and well-trained people are essential to keep operations safe and efficient.

This course provides practical knowledge of warehouse and storage safety. Participants learn how to identify and assess warehouse hazards, plan safe layouts and traffic routes, and manage pedestrian and vehicle segregation. The course covers forklift and material handling equipment safety, racking design, installation, inspection and load limits, safe stacking and storage, and manual handling. It also explains the storage of hazardous materials, chemicals and gas cylinders, segregation and compatibility, fire prevention and protection, loading bay and dock safety, housekeeping, emergency procedures and the inspection and audit of warehouse safety.

Objectives

• Identify and assess the main hazards in warehouses and stores
• Plan safe layouts, traffic routes and pedestrian segregation
• Apply forklift and material handling equipment safety rules
• Inspect racking and apply load limits and safe stacking practices
• Store hazardous materials, chemicals and gas cylinders safely
• Prevent fires and manage loading bays, docks and housekeeping
• Inspect and audit warehouse safety and plan emergency response

Who should attend

Training methodology

The course combines explanation of warehouse hazards and controls with photographs, layout drawings, checklists and short videos from real facilities. Participants carry out hazard spotting exercises, review a warehouse layout and traffic plan, inspect racking from photographs and decide on actions for damaged components, and check chemical storage against compatibility charts. Forklift safety rules and pre-use checks are reviewed with practical examples. Case studies of warehouse fires, racking collapses and forklift accidents are analysed in groups. Each day ends with a short quiz and discussion of issues at participants' warehouses.

Programme outline

Dates and fees

Certificate

Frequently asked questions