When you’re managing a busy factory or business, it’s easy to get caught up in the demands of daily operations. You get extremely overwhelmed to the point that even regular cleaning and maintenance becomes neglected.
Warehouse maintenance should be performed on a daily basis. A clean warehouse affects the performance of business operations by promoting productivity, efficiency, and accuracy. It also reduces the risks of workplace accidents and encourages workers to value the importance of cleanliness and sanitation.
If your warehouse has a very sensitive environment, you have to ensure the structure is strong enough to withstand the demands of daily operations. For example, if you’re dealing with chemicals or electricity, the warehouse needs ESD epoxy flooring to protect the integrity of the flooring system.
Given the unique demands and pressures of warehouse operations, you have to ensure that it’s clean and well-maintained. With that in mind, here are the essentials of warehouse cleaning to ensure business safety and efficiency.
Create a warehouse cleaning checklist
A clean and well-maintained warehouse helps increase productivity. It also prevents tight workspaces, slick floors, and other workplace hazards that potentially lead to injuries and accidents. In this case, every warehouse requires a cleaning checklist to ensure no area gets left behind. It includes a complete breakdown of areas that need to be inspected and cleaned daily. More importantly, it helps warehouse managers to monitor when and which areas have been cleaned and streamline warehouse maintenance initiatives.
Generally, a warehouse cleaning checklist should pay attention to the internal and external layout of a warehouse. It should contain detailed information on how to perform the cleaning task in the offices, pantry, bathrooms, storage area, loading docks, warehouse floor, and other essential areas. Additionally, it should be directly specific to the task performance and who did them.
Any building establishment will benefit from a cleaning checklist. You’ll also find it useful for quality management purposes and monitor the company’s ability to maintain clean work areas. If done correctly and consistently, you increase the level of efficiency and productivity of the company while reducing the risks of work delays and accidents.
Leverage pest control
Any warehouse is an easy target for annoying critters, such as insects and rodents that are in constant search of food and breeding grounds. Failure to observe hygiene and pest control can lead to pest infestation, destroyed equipment and goods, and delayed operations. You can avoid these circumstances by doing the right preparation.
Take proactive steps when eliminating pests once you notice the first signs of them. Contact a professional pest control service for a thorough examination of the facility to determine the scope of the pest problem and potential pest issues. Even the occasional presence of rodents is a sign of a potential problem that lies deep within the warehouse.
While you’re at it, create a pest control plan specific to each type of pest in the warehouse. The plan should include the type of pests, a list of pest-vulnerable zones, goods favored by pests, infestation frequency, pest control techniques, and a clean-up schedule.
Draft a maintenance manual
Besides a warehouse cleaning checklist, you also need to devote time and effort to draft a warehouse maintenance manual which your cleaning crew should adhere to.
The manual should discuss the routine maintenance measures assigned for each employee, the scheduled inspection and maintenance, and how to deal with specific maintenance issues.
To maximize maintenance efforts, you can organize a training program for workers to ensure they understand the daily responsibilities of warehouse maintenance. Investing time and money in training programs can make a big difference to warehouse productivity.
There are plenty of aspects required to keep a warehouse clean. To ensure safe and proper disposal, trash bins should be separated and emptied regularly. Warehouse managers should assign janitorial workers in specific areas to clean across the warehouse. This way, you can easily monitor which areas need to be cleaned, and the person assigned to do it. A clean warehouse also ensures convenient access to cleaning tools and supplies. In times of wastes, spills, and leaks, workers will know where to access the right tools.
Managing a warehouse goes beyond the monitoring of workflow; it also includes its cleanliness and maintenance. The key to a successful warehouse operation is a stable working environment that can tackle a variety of work demands and sensitive environments. The suggestions above are just a starting point for warehouse maintenance. Make sure to observe cleanliness regularly to have true peace of mind.
