Warehouse NEP Enforcement – Updates and Tips for Compliance

Warehouses, typically cleaner and quieter than a manufacturing facility, can nevertheless pose a series of hazards, many of which are not readily apparent to the naked eye. Employers in the warehouse and storage industry includes facilities focused on general merchandise, refrigerated goods, and other products, as well as establishments providing transportation and logistical services relating to goods distribution. Potential hazards include those associated with powered industrial trucks (forklifts), ergonomics, material handling, egress safety, heat, and slip/trip/falls. Included among the most common types of injuries in the warehouse setting are musculoskeletal disorders and being struck by powered industrial trucks and other materials handling equipment.  Given the significant rise in employment in the warehousing and distribution industries and the growing injury/illness and DART rates, OSHA launched a national emphasis program to target employers in these industries for enforcement.  Regardless of how impressive an establishment’s safety record is, an NEP inspection may be inevitable, and it is important for employers to take steps to prepare for such inspections and proactively address the key hazards that OSHA will be reviewing during such inspections.