Do you own or operate a busy warehouse with multiple movements every hour and a very active staff? If so, your workers may have a lot on their plate and may find it hard to maintain the working environment so that it is as clean and polished as possible. Yet, you must pay attention to hygiene and keep things in order to maintain productivity. So how do you create a balance that will work all around?

Big Challenge Ahead

By the very nature of a warehouse, it's hard to keep it clean. You may have forklift trucks moving back and forth during the day, and if they also need to go outside, they can bring in a lot of dirt on the tyres. As they often need to manoeuvre in a very tight space, this can transfer a lot of dirt to the immediate area, with dust and moisture sticking to rubber tyre tracks and making things even worse.

It may also be difficult to schedule any downtime if you're constantly moving stock. Dust and debris can build up on shelves and in difficult to reach places, compounding the issue as the months go by.

Proactive Response Required

Unfortunately, you cannot take a passive approach and must find a solution for the good of the business. If the area does become dirty, this can eventually affect staff morale and could also be a place to harbour bacteria. Health and safety are very hot topics these days in the wake of the pandemic, and you don't want to give your staff the opportunity to gripe if they feel that they are working in a suboptimal environment.

Being Realistic

Some people in your situation might ask employees to clean their own area as they go so the problem is not allowed to develop. Yet while attention to cleanliness and routine care should be expected, it may not be fair to offload the problem onto staff members who are already overworked.

Instead, you should come up with a proactive cleaning schedule. For example, if your warehouse operates around the clock, then you will need to divide it into sections and find a way to shut each section down one by one at the most logical time of day. Shift activities into another section while one is being cleaned, and make sure that you stick with your schedule.

Outsourcing for Better Effect

Furthermore, don't expect your overstretched warehouse staff to become cleaners. Instead, bring in a company that specialises in cleaning commercial space like this. They will be only too happy to work with you according to your schedule and bearing in mind how busy your operation is.

Contact a commercial cleaning service near you to learn more.