The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and…oh no, the warehouse is boiling! As the UK experiences warmer weather, what may be a pleasant change for some can be a serious headache for the warehousing and logistics industries. At Midland Pallet Trucks we recognise how important it is to have your operations running, rain or shine (or, heatwave or not).
Here, in this blog, we will dig deeper into how increasing temperatures can affect your warehouse and logistics and how you can better cope with the summer season with some practical methods.
The impact of warmer temperatures within the warehouse
Although a summer surge in consumer demand is favourable for companies, it can place extra strain on your warehouse. Here is how rising temperatures can impact your logistics:
- Increased demand: Warmer weather brings extra demand for some items. For example, seasonal products and beverages. This can lead to an overflow of warehouse capacity and higher stockouts.
- Worker safety & productivity: Your warehouse workers in extreme heat may suffer from heat stress, overheating, elevated heart rate, body temperature, and sweating. This can result in reduced productivity and fatigue when the worker really needs to be at their best. Also, heat stroke can be a problem. Proper ventilation and hydration are key.
- Infrastructure & transportation: Higher temperatures can lead to delays in transport as roads can be disrupted in the event of prolonged exposure to sweltering conditions (eg, damaged asphalt leading to road closures, and slower travel times due to low-speed limits). Alternative routes have to be identified, or delivery schedules rescheduled.
- Product damage & temperature sensitivity: Some products are highly susceptible to temperature damage, whether in transit or storage. Food, pharmaceuticals, and even some electronics can be damaged by excessive heat. Temperature-controlled shipping and storage are an investment that can ensure the safety of such products.
Actionable solutions for a smooth summer
Let’s look at some solutions to help you keep your warehouse and logistics operations cool:
- Ergonomic equipment: Ergonomically designed pallet trucks to reduce strain and fatigue are a must-have. Padded handles, dual-sided tillers and ergonomic pump designs can reduce the force required to push or pull a pallet through a facility. Hot environments require equipment with these features.
- Create a safe environment within the warehouse: Make sure you have adequate fans or air conditioners in the right places in your warehouse. Encourage workers to stay hydrated and ensure there’s ready access to cool water. Consider having heat stress monitoring protocols as well as cool vests in extreme cases.
- Plan for delays and disruptions: Check the weather forecast to prepare for transportation disruptions, and create contingency plans in case of road closures or delays.
- Temperature-controlled options: If your business is involved in handling heat-sensitive products, you can’t afford to compromise on temperature-controlled storage or transportation.
Going beyond the basics to create an efficient warehouse
Investing in your staff, warehouse, and equipment may seem like a big expense, but you’ll quickly reap the benefits when you are more productive – after all, time is money.
If you have all the basics covered already, here are some additional tips you can follow to make sure your warehouse is fully optimised for the summer months:
- Think about the layout of your warehouse: Design your warehouse layout to reduce worker walking distances, especially for carrying heavy loads. It will save your team a lot of energy – and help them stay cool.
- Try to pace out work for your employees: Whenever possible, load and unload trucks or equipment early in the day or late in the evening to avoid the hottest mid-day hours.
- Start to embrace automation: Can you reduce the amount of manual input needed by using storage, retrieval and sortation automation, such as conveyors, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or robots? This is a large investment but will improve efficiency and reduce manual labour requirements – particularly in hot working environments.
- Invest in the right PPE: Your workers should be wearing light, breathable clothing, and well-suited for the heat. In addition, they should be wearing wide-brimmed hats and sunscreen to prevent heatstroke, sun damage and sunburn.
Get your logistics on point this summer
Although it may feel like we never get summer here in the UK, we have started to see much hotter weather over the year, so don’t let your business get caught out by high temperatures.
Midland Pallet Trucks is on hand to provide you with the right equipment and expertise to overcome any logistical problem. Call us today to discuss your requirements and how our inventory of manual handling equipment can keep your business cool this summer.
A warehouse that is ready for hot weather is a happy warehouse – a happy warehouse makes for happy customers, and happy customers make for a thriving business.