Warehouse work is hard on hands. Thousands of picks, boxes, and lifts per shift. Sharp cardboard edges, heavy loads, repetitive motions — the hazards are constant. Hand injuries cost productivity, workers' comp claims, and careers.
Warehouse Hand Hazards
Warehouse hands face cardboard cuts and abrasions, pinch points from shelving and equipment, repetitive motion injuries, and cumulative trauma from high-volume handling. Each hazard requires specific protection approaches.
Picking Operations
Order pickers handle diverse products with different hazards. Sharp packaging, heavy items, awkward shapes — each pick is a potential injury. Light gloves help for most picking. Self-adhering tape on fingertips provides protection for tasks requiring bare-hand dexterity.
When workers are measured on rate, safety often loses. Effective programs either reduce the conflict or change the incentives. Protection must work within production realities.
Packing Station Safety
Packing stations concentrate hazards: cardboard cuts, tape gun strain, and repetitive motions. Pad sharp box edges. Use ergonomic tape guns. Rotate tasks to distribute strain across different motions.
Protection Strategies
Match protection to task. Gloves for box handling. Bare hands with tape for scanning and touchscreens. The right protection varies by station and activity.
Building a Safety Program
Stock protection at every station — gloves, tape, bandages. Train workers on proper use. Track hand injuries to understand patterns. Investigate incidents to identify root causes. Small improvements multiply across large workforces.