Effective warehouse health and safety protects employees and supports efficient operations. Understanding the risks associated with warehouse activities and how to control them helps prevent incidents, minimise disruption and reduce costs from accidents, absence and damaged goods.
This guide provides practical guidance on meeting warehouse health and safety requirements, controlling risks across warehouse operations, and carrying out effective risk assessments to identify where further controls may be needed.
What are the main warehouse health and safety requirements?
Warehouse health and safety legislation covers a range of workplace risks. The specific requirements that apply depend on the hazards, equipment and activities within the warehouse.
| Legislation | What it covers | Main requirements for warehouses |
| Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 | General workplace health and safety | Protect employees and others who may be affected by work activities, so far as is reasonably practicable. |
| Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 | Management of workplace risks | Carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments and put effective arrangements in place to plan, organise, control, monitor and review health and safety. |
| Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 | Workplace conditions | Maintain safe floors, traffic routes, lighting, ventilation, access and welfare facilities. |
| Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR) | Hazardous manual handling | Avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable and assess and reduce unavoidable risks. |
| Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) | Work equipment | Ensure equipment is suitable, maintained in a safe condition and inspected where necessary, with suitable information, instruction and training for users. |
| Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) | Lifting equipment and lifting operations | Ensure lifting operations are properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely, and that lifting equipment is suitable and thoroughly examined where required. |
| Work at Height Regulations 2005 | Falls from height | Avoid work at height where reasonably practicable and prevent falls where work at height cannot be avoided. |
| Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, as amended | PPE | Provide suitable PPE where risks cannot be adequately controlled by other measures, and ensure it is maintained and used correctly. |
| Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) | Hazardous substances | Assess exposure to hazardous substances and prevent or adequately control exposure where substances such as cleaning chemicals, dusts or other hazardous materials are present. |
| Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) | Fire and explosion risks from dangerous substances | Assess and eliminate or reduce risks from flammable substances, explosive atmospheres, gases under pressure and other dangerous substances. |
| Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 | Electrical safety | Ensure electrical systems and equipment are constructed, maintained and used so as to prevent danger. |
| Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) | Reporting certain workplace incidents | Report specified work-related injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to the relevant enforcing authority. |
What are the main health and safety risks in a warehouse?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identifies slips and trips, manual handling, work at height, vehicles in and around the warehouse, and moving or falling objects as the main causes of accidents in warehousing and storage.
Workplace transport
Forklift trucks, delivery vehicles, pallet trucks and other moving equipment can cause serious injuries, particularly where vehicles and pedestrians are together.
HSE guidance recommends separating pedestrian and vehicle routes wherever reasonably practicable. Controls may include physical barriers, clearly marked pedestrian routes and crossings, suitable speed limits, one-way systems to reduce reversing, and designated loading and unloading areas.
Good visibility, lighting, signs and road markings can also help reduce risks. Vehicle operators should be suitably trained and authorised, and traffic arrangements should consider visiting drivers, contractors and others who may be unfamiliar with the site.
Our experienced health and safety consultants provide workplace transport risk assessments to identify risks and recommend practical controls that help protect employees, visitors and contractors.
Warehouse manual handling
Warehouse manual handling includes lifting and carrying stock, pushing cages, pulling pallet trucks and moving goods into or out of storage.
Poor manual handling can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including back and upper limb injuries. In 2024/25, 511,000 workers suffered from work-related MSDs in Great Britain. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identifies transportation and storage as having a higher-than-average rate of MSDs.
Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR), employers must avoid hazardous manual handling so far as reasonably practicable, assess risks where it cannot be avoided and reduce those risks as far as reasonably practicable.
Controls may include manual handling training, mechanical aids, reducing load weights, improving storage heights and avoiding repetitive or awkward handling.
UK health and safety law does not set a maximum lifting weight. Risk depends on the load, task, frequency of handling and individual capability.
Slips and trips
Packaging, shrink wrap, pallets, spillages, damaged flooring and other obstructions can create slip and trip hazards in a busy warehouse.
Slips, trips and falls on the same level accounted for 30% of employee non-fatal injuries reported under RIDDOR in Great Britain in 2024/25, making them the most common accident type.
Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, employers must assess and control slip and trip risks and ensure floors and traffic routes are suitable and kept free from hazards.
Controls include good housekeeping, promptly clearing spillages and obstructions, maintaining floors and walkways, providing suitable lighting and carrying out regular inspections. Slips, trips and falls training can also help employees recognise hazards and understand how to prevent accidents.
Working at height
Warehouse work at height can include retrieving stock, maintenance activities and using ladders or mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs).
Falls from height remain the leading cause of fatal workplace accidents in Great Britain, accounting for 35 worker deaths in 2024/25.
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, employers must avoid work at height where reasonably practicable. Where it cannot be avoided, work must be properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people using suitable equipment.
Controls may include working at height training, selecting and inspecting suitable access equipment and using measures to prevent falls. Pallets, racking and forklift forks should never be used as makeshift access equipment.
The type of equipment and precautions required will depend on factors including the height, duration and frequency of the work and the condition of the working surface.
Storage, racking and falling objects
Poorly stored or unstable goods can fall and seriously injure employees. Racking can also become unsafe if it is overloaded, incorrectly altered or damaged by forklift trucks and other workplace vehicles.
The HSE identifies moving or falling objects as one of the main causes of accidents in warehousing and storage.
Controls include storing goods securely within specified load limits, protecting vulnerable racking from vehicle impact and ensuring damage is reported promptly. Employees should also have safe methods for placing and retrieving goods.
Racking should be regularly inspected. HSE guidance states that the person responsible for racking safety (PRRS) should arrange visual inspections at intervals based on risk, while an expert inspection by a technically competent person should take place at intervals of no more than 12 months.
Machinery and work equipment
Conveyors, compactors, dock levellers, wrapping machines, forklift trucks and other equipment can expose employees to trapping, crushing, entanglement and other serious injuries. In 2024/25, 13 workers were killed through contact with moving machinery in Great Britain.
Under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), equipment must be suitable for its intended use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected where necessary. Employees must also receive adequate information, instruction and training.
Controls may include suitable guards and emergency stops, regular inspection and maintenance, restricting equipment use to trained and authorised employees where necessary, and providing safe systems of work.
Safe isolation is particularly important during cleaning, maintenance and blockage clearance. The HSE advises that machinery should be stopped and isolated from power sources, with equipment locked off where there is a risk of it being accidentally restarted.
Hazardous substances and fire
Warehouses may store or use cleaning products, fuels, aerosols, gases, chemicals and other substances that could cause ill health, fire or explosion. Even relatively routine activities, such as charging equipment or handling cleaning chemicals, may introduce hazardous substances.
Under COSHH, employers must assess risks from substances hazardous to health and prevent or adequately control exposure. Controls may be safe storage and segregation, ventilation, spill procedures, suitable PPE where required, COSHH training and fire safety training.
Where dangerous substances could cause a fire or explosion, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) require employers to assess and eliminate or reduce the risks so far as reasonably practicable. Controls can include minimising quantities, separating incompatible substances, preventing releases and controlling ignition sources.
Fire safety arrangements should also reflect the warehouse layout and materials stored, with suitable precautions, warning systems and emergency procedures in place.
Electrical hazards
Warehouses can contain extensive electrical installations, powered machinery, portable appliances and charging equipment for forklift trucks and other handling equipment.
Faulty or damaged electrical equipment can cause electric shock, burns and fire. The HSE also highlights arcing, explosions and the ignition of flammable vapours or dusts as potential electrical hazards.
Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, electrical systems and equipment must be suitable for their environment and maintained to prevent danger.
Controls include regular checks and risk-based inspection and maintenance, removing damaged equipment from use, preventing overloading, ensuring electrical work is carried out by competent people and electrical safety training.
Workplace environment
Warehouse conditions can affect employees’ health and safety, with risks including poor lighting or ventilation, excessive noise and uncomfortable or potentially harmful temperatures. Cold stores and exposed loading areas can create additional risks from low temperatures, adverse weather and wet or icy surfaces.
Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, employers must provide a suitable working environment, including adequate lighting and ventilation and a reasonable indoor temperature.
Controls depend on the risks but may include suitable lighting and ventilation, heating or cooling, protective clothing for cold environments and measures to reduce noise exposure.
Where noise could harm employees’ hearing, additional duties apply under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 and it is advisable to consider providing noise awareness training.
How do you carry out a warehouse risk assessment?
A warehouse stores risk assessment should consider the premises, activities, equipment and people involved, identifying the specific hazards and controls needed to keep people safe.
Our Risk Assessment Training helps employees and managers develop the practical knowledge and skills to identify hazards, assess risks and apply effective control measures in the workplace.
The risk assessment process can be broken down into five steps:
1. Identify the hazards
Walk through the warehouse and observe how work is carried out. Look at different areas, activities and times of day, including busy periods, deliveries, maintenance and cleaning.
When identifying hazards:
- Observe routine activities – look at vehicle movements, loading and unloading, manual handling, storage, work at height and the use of machinery and equipment.
- Consider non-routine activities – include maintenance, cleaning, repairs, stock movements and other activities that may only happen occasionally.
- Inspect the workplace and equipment – look for damaged racking, machinery or electrical equipment, unsafe floors and other signs that existing controls may not be effective.
- Talk to employees – ask about hazards, near misses and problems they encounter while carrying out their work.
- Review existing information – check accident and near-miss records, inspection and maintenance findings, manufacturer instructions and relevant safety data sheets.
2. Identify who could be harmed and how
For each hazard, identify who could be affected and the type of injury or ill health that could result. Consider everyone who may enter or work in the warehouse, not only permanent employees.
When identifying who could be harmed:
- Consider employees – identify which roles and activities expose employees to hazards and how frequently they may be exposed.
- Include others working on site – consider temporary and agency workers, contractors, cleaners and delivery drivers who may encounter warehouse risks.
- Consider visitors and other people – include anyone who may enter operational areas or otherwise be affected by warehouse activities.
- Identify people who may be at greater risk – consider young or inexperienced workers, pregnant workers and people with disabilities or other individual needs that could affect their risk.
- Record how harm could occur – identify the potential consequences of each hazard, such as being struck by a vehicle, falling from height, suffering a manual handling injury or being exposed to a hazardous substance.
3. Assess the risks and decide on controls
For each hazard, consider how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how serious the consequences could be. Take account of factors such as how often people are exposed to the hazard, how many people could be affected and whether some individuals may be at greater risk.
Review the controls already in place and decide whether they are effective or further measures are needed. Where possible, eliminate the hazard altogether. If this is not reasonably practicable, reduce the risk using the most effective controls available.
For example, this could involve separating pedestrians from vehicles, using mechanical handling equipment to reduce manual handling or providing suitable equipment for work at height. Higher risks should be addressed as a priority.
4. Record the findings and take action
Record the significant hazards identified, who could be harmed and how, and the measures already in place to control each risk. Where existing controls are not sufficient, record the additional action required.
Create an action plan showing what needs to be done, who is responsible and the target completion date. Prioritise higher-risk actions and track them through to completion rather than treating the risk assessment itself as the end of the process.
Make sure employees understand the controls that affect their work, including any changes to procedures, equipment or working practices. Managers and supervisors should check that the agreed measures have been introduced and are being followed in practice.
5. Review and update the assessment
A warehouse risk assessment should remain a working document. Review it when there is reason to believe it is no longer valid or following a significant change that could introduce new hazards or alter existing risks.
Changes that could trigger a review include:
- Introducing new machinery, vehicles or equipment.
- Changing the warehouse layout or traffic routes.
- Storing different products or hazardous substances.
- Introducing new working methods or processes.
- An accident or near miss that indicates existing controls may be inadequate.
- Evidence from inspections or employees that controls are not working as intended.
There is no universal legal requirement to review a risk assessment annually. Reviews should be frequent enough to ensure the assessment remains valid and should take place when changes or other evidence indicate that risks or controls need to be reconsidered.
Health and safety consultancy for warehouses
Our experienced health and safety consultants provide independent, practical support to help organisations manage risks across warehouse operations.
We can review your risk assessments, procedures and working practices, identify gaps and areas for improvement, and provide clear recommendations based on your workplace, activities and risks.
Support can include health and safety audits, risk assessments and ongoing competent person services.
Find out more about health and safety consultancy services on our website or contact our friendly team on 0203 011 4242 / [email protected]
Adam Clarke
Managing Director (Consulting)
