Warehouse Safety Audit
Warehouses are where serious harm tends to happen: forklifts working alongside people, heavy loads stored overhead, busy loading docks, and constant manual handling.
A warehouse safety audit shows you where your real risks are and whether your controls actually work on your site.
Winsland carries out independent, practical warehouse audits for Auckland businesses. We look at what matters most, tell you plainly what we find, and give you a short action plan with owners, so you can spend on the things that reduce harm rather than on paperwork.
Who this is for
- Warehouse, distribution and logistics operators in Auckland
- Manufacturers and wholesalers with storage and dispatch areas
- Businesses that have had an incident or near miss and want an independent view
- Owners and directors who want evidence that risks are being managed
- Companies preparing for a customer, insurer or pre-qualification audit
What we look at
We tailor each audit to your site, but a warehouse safety audit typically covers the areas below.
Forklifts and mobile plant
Traffic management, pedestrian segregation, operator competence, operational practice, safety devices and equipment maintenance. See our forklift risk assessment tool.
Racking and storage
Visible damage, signage, stacking practices, housekeeping and monitoring. We look at whether storage arrangements are creating avoidable risk.
See our racking and storage checklistManual handling
Picking, packing and loading tasks, lifting aids and operator competence. We focus on how the work is actually being carried out.
Competency
Worker induction, task-specific and machine-specific training, assessment and evidence of competency.
Loading docks and vehicle areas
Falls from height and from docks, trailer restraint, yard movements, and driver and visitor controls.
Hazardous substances
Storage, labelling, safety data sheets and segregation. See our guides on safety data sheets and labelling hazardous substances .
Emergency readiness
Exits and evacuation, fire equipment, first aid and emergency procedures people can actually follow.
Slips, trips and falls
We check whether the warehouse is being kept free from rubbish plastic wrap, broken pallets and other common slip, trip and fall hazards
What you get
Findings written in plain English and ranked by risk.
Suggested owners and timeframes so findings can be acted on.
We identify the few things that could seriously harm someone, so effort goes where it counts. Read more about what critical risk means for NZ business .
Useful evidence for directors, insurers, customers and other interested parties.
Frequently asked questions
Is a warehouse safety audit a legal requirement in New Zealand?
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 does not require something specifically called a “warehouse safety audit”. However, businesses need to manage risks effectively and officers have due diligence responsibilities. Auditing and reviewing health and safety arrangements can provide useful evidence that risks and controls are being monitored and reviewed.
How long does a warehouse audit take?
It depends on the size and complexity of your site. A typical single-site audit may take 2 hours.
Will the audit disrupt operations?
We work around normal operations wherever practical and aim to observe work as it really happens. In many cases, seeing normal operations is one of the most useful parts of the audit.
What happens after the audit?
You receive a written report and prioritised action plan. We can help you work through the findings, or return later to check progress and verify that actions have been closed.
Do you work outside Auckland?
We work in Auckland and Waikato and, through associates using Winsland systems, across New Zealand.
Can you audit against our customer’s or insurer’s requirements?
Yes. If you provide the relevant requirements, we can incorporate them into the audit. They are often the same as, or similar to, the controls covered by our standard warehouse audit approach.
Book a warehouse safety audit
Want an independent view of the risks in your warehouse?
Call 021 070 6199 or email office@winsland.co.nz