Tools and Equipment

It is essential to your bottom line to provide the proper tools to your employees so that they can perform tasks efficiently. Remember, any delay in getting a task done will adversely affect your bottom line.

It is not only imperative to have the tools on hand, it is essential to have the tools easily assessable and to be sure that each and every employee that needs them know exactly where they are.

Also keep in mind that tools can break or get lost and many employees may need the same tool at the same time. So always have several of each tool on hand.

Essential warehouse tools include:

·      Pallet Jacks
·      Hand Trucks
·      Stock Carts
·      Rolling Ladders
·      Banding Dispensers
·      Banding Cutters
·      Banding Crimpers
·      Pry Bars
·      Stretch Wrap Dispensers
·      Tape Dispensers
·      Pocket Calculators
·      Clipboards
·      Razors, Knives, and Blades
·      Markers, Pens, Pencils, etc.

You should also have cleaning supplies available. These should include:

·      Brooms
·      Dust Pans
·      Mops
·      Trash Containers

In addition, each of your employees will find themselves performing some task in which they should be wearing some kind of safety protection. Safety items that should be available include:

·      Safety Glasses
·      Dust Masks
·      Gloves
·      Aprons
·      Respirators
·      Hard Hats
·      Wheel Chocks

You may want to store tools that are used regularly every day in easily accessible areas of each department while tools that are used only occasionally should go into a location that is some distance from the high activity areas.

Also include lower cost equipment when creating a strategy for what tools to have on hand and where to locate them for quick accessibility. Equipment such as lift tables, portable flex conveyors, drum handling equipment, pallet dollies, and more are just as essential, if not more essential, than the tools workers need to efficiently perform assignments.

It is always a good idea to review warehouse equipment catalogs to assure that you haven’t forgotten about some form of equipment you might need.  Keep in mind how each station in your warehouse operates when selecting equipment. This will help you determine which equipment should be acquired and kept on hand.

Always confirm that the quality of the equipment you acquire is good. For example, check the quality of wheel and caster assemblies of rolling gear like flatbeds, carts, stock carts, and more.

A strategy to properly maintain tools and equipment should be considered essential to the warehouse’s operation. If something breaks, then you are facing not only a repair or replacement issue, you are also confronted with productivity and safety issues.

A plan for preventative maintenance should be understood and carried out for such equipment as lift trucks, conveyor systems, automated material handling equipment, dock equipment, stretch wrap machines, palletizers, bailers, compactors, and more. Employees should be taught to immediately report any problems with any piece of equipment.

Some people who are aware of warehouse operations also stress that maintenance of pallet racking should not be neglected. Make certain that any broken racking be replaced or repaired as soon as possible. Rack guards and barricades can be used to protect racking in areas where they could break.