How are warehouses coping with social distancing for employees?

Luckily warehouse managers are absolutely at home with the pressures of fluctuating markets and keeping up with the rapid development of new technology. They have embraced this challenge and managed to keep operations running smoothly, and continue to support and protect employees in the process. 

As we all know social distancing is a major factor in the fight against covid. Keeping staff at least 2 metres apart can greatly reduce the risk of the virus spreading. As many warehouse staff work in shared spaces and share equipment, this was the first challenge - ensure social distancing. 

Where there have been high profile outbreaks reported in the news for example, it has been determined a breakdown in social distancing had been the route cause. This unfortunately was the case for an Amazon warehouse after the prime day sales rush. 

A simple yet effective solution for many businesses was to invest in more workbenches, packing tables, and workstations. The UK based industrial equipment company Spaceguard has seen demand for warehouse equipment rise steadily since the beginning of the pandemic.

A popular solution they are able to provide being custom designed and built workstations with integrated packaging holders, IT solutions, printers, and other required  equipment. This allows for staff to stay safely at their individual workstation and not have to share commonly used equipment with other staff members. 

Where sharing of equipment such as handheld scanners was taking place, some companies are exploring technology to sanitise these items using UV-C light. This in effect being quicker and more hygienic than using sanitising wipes or sprays. 

Another way in which warehouses are adapting to the covid risk, is the further use of automation equipment, such as conveyor systems and robotics. This allows for multiple items to be transported around the warehouse without the use of forklifts or staff using trolleys. This is proving to be a popular solution for the long-term, once the equipment is installed it greatly reduces the need for employees to move about the warehouse, thus improving order processing speed and efficiency. Conveyor system extensions are also proving extremely popular for scenarios where multiple staff are assigned to a conveyor line. 

The use of one-way systems and planning out routes for high traffic areas is also helping employers ensure their staff are safe when moving about the warehouse environment. By reducing the risk of employees crossing paths, the chance of spreading the virus is greatly reduced.

Shift patterns have also been changed so that less people are coming into and leaving the warehouses at any given time, thereby decreasing the chances of many people being in the same space at the same time. 

By staggering shifts this also allows time for cleaning of equipment and common areas much more regularly than previously. Many warehouses have also adopted a pairing, or small team system, whereby the same people work together at all times making it much easier to know who would need to self-isolate if and when necessary. 

Overall the best solutions are often the most simple ones. The use of hand sanitizer and face masks is required in warehouses just as it is for most other work environments.  By making more space for their employees and enforcing social distancing with shift changes and extra equipment, most warehouse environments are thankfully being kept covid free.