Improving Warehouse Safety with Connected Security Solutions for Live Video Monitoring

The labor shortage continues to challenge warehouse operations. According to a recent FreightWaves article highlighting a survey from Instawork, 73% of businesses struggle to attract employees. Despite this, demand keeps rising, with nearly 60% of companies reporting increased fulfillment volumes.

This problem has led over half of light industrial businesses to rely more on temporary workers than before the COVID-19 pandemic. A staggering 84% have turned to staffing agencies for help, yet only 6% have secured the needed additional workers. With fewer people entering the warehouse workforce and experienced workers retiring, the industry faces a critical loss of skilled personnel. This shortage makes it vital to bring in new workers before veterans leave to ensure knowledge and skills transfer. Here are some fo the connected security solutions for live video monitoring that can help improve warehouse safety.

Increased Risks and Challenges

Warehouse workers now have to do more with fewer resources, leading to increased fatigue and burnout. This raises the risk of illnesses and injuries such as forklift accidents, ergonomic injuries, slips, trips, and falls. Heat stroke, falling objects, and incorrect use of personal protective equipment (PPE) further compound these risks.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports a 37% increased injury risk when working 12-hour shifts. Health and fatigue-related productivity losses cost employers an estimated $136.4 billion annually. Amid these challenges, maintaining safety remains a top priority.

The Role of Connected Safety Solutions

Despite being understaffed, warehouse operators must ensure a safe working environment. The solution lies in connected and automated safety solutions, which enhance overall facility safety. These solutions leverage connectivity to improve real-time monitoring, communication, and emergency response capabilities.

Emerging technologies like connected devices, cameras, and wearables equipped with artificial intelligence can identify safety hazards and trigger necessary responses. These devices, along with human intelligence, can communicate with users, safety managers, or leaders.

Benefits of Connected Safety Solutions

Connected safety solutions integrate devices, sensors, and communication networks to provide continuous data collection and analysis. This infrastructure allows for real-time monitoring of parameters such as air quality, temperature, and hazardous material levels, enabling quick, targeted responses to potential risks.

In emergencies, effective communication is crucial. Connected safety solutions facilitate seamless communication among individuals, devices, and control centers, ensuring vital information reaches the right stakeholders promptly. These systems can automatically trigger alerts and notifications, streamline emergency protocols, and provide precise location tracking for swift response team deployment.

Choosing the Right Warehouse Safety Solutions

Selecting the right connected safety solutions requires careful consideration of the specific needs of a warehouse operation. Key questions to address include:

1. Identifying the Problem: Review operations to identify common injuries and safety hazards. Look for trends and near misses to prevent future incidents.
2. Understanding the Scope: Consider the size of the warehouse, the number of workers, equipment used, and the movement of people and machinery.
3. Connectivity and Integration: Ensure devices can integrate and work together to provide comprehensive safety coverage. Multiple grouped solutions might be necessary for different areas.

Top Connected Warehouse Safety Technologies

Wearables

Wearables equipped with sensors and IoT technology allow for tracking individuals and equipment. These devices can predict worker fatigue by monitoring temperature, heart rate, and sleep patterns, generating valuable fatigue reports. Augmented and virtual reality enhance training, allowing workers to learn new skills risk-free and enabling job rotation to prevent ergonomic injuries.

Access Control Systems

Access control systems manage access to different warehouse areas, ensuring only authorized personnel can enter. These systems can integrate with video surveillance to link access events with corresponding footage, enhancing security and safety analysis.

Video Surveillance with Remote Monitoring

Security cameras alone are insufficient for proactive safety and security. Integrating remote video monitoring with human and artificial intelligence allows for early detection of safety hazards and security threats. Trained monitoring operators can distinguish real threats from false alarms, adding strategic value to the system.