Procurement and Safety: A Partnership for Reducing Warehouse Risks

Strengthening collaboration between procurement and safety teams can significantly reduce warehouse risks by enforcing safety standards in supply contracts and ensuring compliance.

• By Olga Bodiagina
• Jan 28, 2025

Warehouse operations remain a high-risk environment, with injury rates significantly exceeding national averages. A 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Labor reveals that incidents nearly doubled from 42,500 in 2016 to 80,500 in 2021, while 39 percent of injuries in 2020 resulted in over 31 days of missed work. The Bureau of Labor Statisticsrecorded 206,900 cases in 2020, with an incidence rate of 4.0 per 100 workers. Additionally, ZoneSafe reported a 23 percent rise in fatal injuries in 2021, with loading docks identified as a major hazard. These alarming statistics emphasize the critical need for enhanced safety measures.

Let’s equip EHS professionals with actionable insights into mitigating warehouse risks through strategic collaboration with procurement teams.

1. Human Factors: The Truck Driver

Truck drivers represent a significant risk factor in warehouse operations, with the potential to cause property damage or injure themselves, which could lead to legal action against the company. Real-world examples highlight these risks: truck drivers have collided with forklifts, discarded cigarettes along warehouse paths or caused accidents by speeding on client premises.

To mitigate these risks, it is essential to include basic behavioral requirements for truck drivers in supply contracts. If the supplier employs subcontractors, the contract must explicitly require the communication of these rules to all subcontracted drivers. This is critical because violations can occur even before the truck driver enters the site, such as damaging entry gates.

Every truck driver should be familiarized with the rules and confirm their acknowledgment by signing off. Some companies conduct safety briefings for truck drivers upon arrival; however, this raises logistical challenges. For instance, scheduling briefings with an EHS manager can be inconvenient for both drivers and warehouse staff. Additionally, safety managers cannot always be available to provide briefings. Even if pre-recorded briefings are used, someone must ensure that truck drivers watch them and document their compliance.

Assigning this task to security personnel can be a practical solution, but it should be explicitly included in their job responsibilities through a contract adjustment. For briefings conducted at the entrance, logistical considerations must be addressed, such as ensuring sufficient space for truck parking.

Alternatively, providing truck drivers with a written guide at the gate can simplify the process. Upon arrival at the unloading area, drivers can read the rules in the presence of a supervisor, sign the document and return it before unloading begins.

However, this method has a limitation: truck drivers are not fully aware of the rules while moving from the gate to the warehouse. To address this gap, it is vital to hold suppliers accountable for ensuring that their drivers are familiar with and adhere to site rules, as outlined in the supply contract.

Unloading is one of the most hazardous stages in warehouse operations. Drivers often attempt to move loads manually, significantly increasing the risk of injury. When driver involvement is necessary, ensuring proper visibility and foot protection is crucial. While supply contracts typically mandate the use of reflective vests and safety footwear, some drivers may arrive unprepared, forgetting or losing their gear.

To mitigate this, it’s advisable to maintain an on-site stock of reflective vests, protective toe caps and safety boots. Additionally, having disposable socks (similar to those used in bowling alleys) can be helpful for drivers wearing unsuitable footwear, such as sandals.

Interestingly, a misunderstanding with the financial control department once emerged over these disposable socks. In the supplier’s catalog, they were labeled as "bowling socks," which led to confusion, as the finance team couldn’t understand how bowling was relevant to EHS. This highlights the importance of clear communication when procuring items for safety purposes.

Wheel chocks for large trucks are another area of concern, as they are often insufficient on their own. In one company, a driver fell asleep in his truck during unloading. Thinking the process was complete, he started the engine and began moving, just as a forklift was exiting the truck. Fortunately, the driver jumped out of the cab in time to avoid injury.

A safer practice is to establish a designated, clearly marked and fenced-off area for drivers to stay in during unloading. If a driver leaves this area, all equipment should immediately stop operating. An even more secure solution involves setting up a separate room where drivers can monitor the unloading process via cameras. This not only keeps them out of high-risk areas but also ensures they remain informed about the progress of the operation.

2. Vehicle Risks

One of the most pressing concerns with vehicles is their condition. Trucks with leaks of fuel, oil, brake fluid or coolant not only pose safety hazards but also risk contaminating storm drains, leading to potential environmental violations.

Additionally, drivers attempting on-site repairs can injure themselves or others, further increasing liability. The simplest and most effective solution is to prohibit defective trucks from entering the facility and to disallow on-site repairs altogether. These requirements should be clearly outlined in contracts and driver guidelines, with security personnel trained to deny entry to visibly unsafe vehicles.

Another critical issue arises when the type of truck does not align with the unloading setup. Some trucks are designed for rear (dock) unloading, while others require side unloading with forklifts. If a dock truck arrives at a facility designed for side unloading, workers are often forced to manually reposition materials to the truck bed's edge.

This process can be cumbersome and risky, particularly when using hydraulic pallet jacks. In more challenging scenarios, materials may be stacked in multiple tiers for forklift handling. Manually moving such loads not only increases the risk of falling materials but also creates significant ergonomic strain for workers.

To address these issues, supply contracts should explicitly specify unloading requirements, including the type of truck that can be used, and impose penalties for non-compliance. If a mismatched truck arrives, retaining a moving company to handle the situation is a practical, albeit temporary, solution. The cost of these services can be passed on to the supplier, creating a financial incentive for them to comply with the requirements. After receiving one or two such invoices, most suppliers are likely to take unloading specifications more seriously.

Enforcing these measures and clearly communicating expectations through supply contracts can help mitigate risks associated with defective trucks and incompatible unloading setups, creating a safer and more efficient working environment.

3. Risks Associated with Delivered Materials

The materials delivered to the warehouse can present significant safety risks if not properly managed. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends a maximum manual lifting weight of 51 pounds (23 kg) under ideal conditions, which aligns with ergonomic best practices outlined in OSHA’s Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines for Meatpacking Plants (adaptable for broader industries). Though this guideline is advisory, it reflects OSHA’s emphasis on minimizing musculoskeletal injuries.

To mitigate these risks, it's advisable to stipulate in supply contracts that any loads exceeding this weight be delivered on pallets. This practice not only facilitates safer handling but also aligns with ergonomic best practices.

Stacking practices also warrant careful attention. Improper stacking can lead to overexertion and injuries among workers. To minimize these risks, it's recommended that manually unloaded stacks do not exceed chest height, typically between 51 to 59 inches (130–150 cm) for the average adult. Supply contracts should specify that stack heights for manual unloading must not exceed 55 inches (140 cm).

Forklift visibility is another critical concern. If the height of a stack obstructs the forklift operator’s view, they may be forced to drive in reverse, increasing the risk of accidents. To prevent this, determine the maximum allowable stack height based on the visibility of the shortest forklift operator and include this limit in the supply contract.

Regarding pallets, the standard size in the U.S. is 48x40 inches, commonly known as the GMA pallet. These pallets typically have a load-bearing capacity of 2,500 pounds.

However, suppliers may use standard pallets without assessing the actual weight of the load, increasing the likelihood of pallet failure during unloading. To address this, contracts should require that pallet capacity exceeds the load weight by at least 10 percent.

In one incident, a supplier delivered an oversized load on two poorly secured pallets. When a forklift operator attempted to lift the load, the pallets began to collapse. To prevent such occurrences, contracts should explicitly prohibit placing loads on multiple pallets.

Warehouse operations inherently involve significant risks, with injury rates consistently exceeding national averages. However, as this article demonstrates, many of these risks can be effectively mitigated through proactive measures that require little to no additional financial investment. Simple yet impactful strategies—such as revising supply contracts to specify safety requirements, enforcing compliance, and fostering collaboration between procurement teams and EHS professionals—can make a profound difference.

Addressing risks related to truck drivers, vehicle conditions and delivered materials requires a multifaceted approach, with supply contracts serving as a key tool for ensuring safety standards. These measures not only reduce accidents and delays but also enhance efficiency and may save lives. A strategic, proactive approach helps EHS professionals create safer, more compliant warehouse environments.