The winter months are often a less productive time of year for warehouse workers, and a source of higher utility bills. If you own or operate a warehouse, consider these helpful tips for successful winter warehousing in Columbus, OH—and if you need short-term warehousing solutions, Quality Experienced Moving, Inc. can help.

Training your workers

Warehouse worker safety is a top priority, and that means keeping your employees warm, hydrated and safe from the cold and ice:

• Keep it warm: It’s costly to heat an entire warehouse, especially if the doors are constantly opening and closing, but the Columbus winters can lead to frostbite and hypothermia, even indoors. Ensure that your employees wear warm clothes—including scarves, gloves, sturdy boots and thick socks—but beware of dangling strings and other safety hazards.
• Stay hydrated: Cold weather can lead to dehydration, so make sure that you provide plenty of water stations and encourage your workers to stay hydrated at all times.
• Stretch goals: The colder temperatures can be tough on your muscles. Lifting heavy objects with stiff muscles is a recipe for injury, so make sure your employees know to stretch and warm up ahead of time.

Prepping your warehouse

Here’s how to get your space itself ready for the winter to ensure a comfortable working environment:

• Get your HVAC system in shape: Ideally, you should get your HVAC system inspected (and repaired, if necessary) well before the winter starts, but if you’ve been neglecting it, there’s no time like the present. A clean HVAC system is an efficient and safe one.
• Consider windows or skylights: If you own your building, consider installing windows and skylights. Natural light—especially direct sunshine, even on a very cold day—can go a long way toward warming the indoor air.
• Inspect your doors for proper sealing: Ever hear your parents tell you to close the door because they’re not paying to heat the whole neighborhood? The same concept applies here. If your dock doors aren’t properly sealing, you could be losing money by allowing your heated air to escape.
• Use air curtains and high-speed doors: If there are places in your warehouse that aren’t used by employees very often, consider air curtains—those sections can be kept cooler, saving you money. High-speed doors, as the name suggests, will help keep more heated air inside your warehouse by cutting down the time during which the cold air can come in.
• Circulate air with industrial fans: Hot air rises, so the best way to keep everyone warm is to install industrial ceiling fans. This helps blow the warm air down to the floor, which will be more comfortable and save money on heating bills.

Warehousing solutions in Columbus, OH

Do you need efficient product storage and sorting? Quality Experienced Moving, Inc. offers short-term solutions for warehousing in Columbus, OH. We cover everything from unloading and quality checking to inventory and delivery processes. Through it all, you’ll love our communicative business style, so you always know where your products are. Call us today to get started.