Free Warehouse Safety Inspection Program Helps Eliminate Accidents Waiting to Happen

Auburn Hills, MI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/30/2015 --Shelving.com, the Auburn Hills-based, second-generation family-owned business specializing in assisting customers to utilize and organize storage space effectively, today announced it is offering free warehouse safety inspections.

Safety in American warehouses is regulated by a series of standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, commonly known as OHSA. An OSHA fine can cost a company up to $7,000 for "minor" infractions, up to $70,000 for repeat offenders. At a federal level, OHSA inspects about 40,000 facilities per year, while the 26 state-operated OHSA organizations inspect another 60,000. These potential OSHA fines are in addition to the costs related to injured employees.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 7 out of every 100 warehouse and storage workers suffered an on-the-job injury. The National Safety Council estimates that industries in the United States are losing as much as $336 billion a year to workers' non-fatal injuries. Additionally, labor statistics cite as many as 10-15 deaths per 100,000 warehouse workers, making it one of the top 100 deadliest jobs.

According to Shelving.com CEO Joe Schodowski, the top five areas for warehouse related accidents are:
- Docks
- Forklifts
- Conveyers
- Materials Storage
- Manual Lifting and Handling

Schodowski cites OSHA and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in pointing out that the top three warehouse injuries are:
- Slips and Falls
- Ergonomic Related Pains from Lifting, Reaching, Pulling and Pushing
- Material Handling and Forklift Accidents

Shelving.com's free 10-point Warehouse Safety Inspection includes an onsite analysis of:
1. Upright column integrity
2. Dented or bent columns
3. Horizontal and diagonal strut integrity
4. Beam connection to upright columns
5. Safety pins or safety clips for beams
6. Condition of decking materials
7. Distance of products stored on top shelf from heating units
8. Anchoring of uprights to floor
9. Bracing to walls
10. Beam rotation or deflection

"Most warehouse accidents and associated OSHA fines for lack of compliance are completely preventable," said Jim Aiello, Vice President of Operations at Shelving.com. "We recommend a proactive approach of having us conduct a warehouse safety inspection at least once a year. Our safety inspections have saved businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential OSHA fines and prevented workplace accidents that were waiting to happen."

For more information on the free 10-point Warehouse Safety Inspection please visit www.shelving.com or contact the company at 1-800-637-9508.

About Shelving.com
Shelving.com has been serving the storage needs of home, business and industry since 1960 as Shelving Inc., offering the finest quality storage products available, as well as added value with design-build capabilities and after-the-sale support services.

The company currently offers more than 15,000 products that can be conveniently ordered via the secure website at http://www.shelving.com, print catalogue, telephone sales department or by visiting Shelving Inc.'s expansive warehouse in Auburn Hills, Michigan.