Warehouse Safety
Warehouses are busy workplaces where vehicles, forklifts, racking, stored goods, loading areas and people often operate in close proximity. Poor controls can result in serious harm.
Our Warehouse Safety Audit provides a practical assessment of the risks in your workplace and identifies where improvements are needed.
Talk to Winsland about your warehouseWho this is for
This audit is designed for businesses operating warehouses, distribution centres, storage facilities and workplaces where goods are received, stored, moved or dispatched.
- Warehouses and distribution centres
- Manufacturing and light industrial businesses
- Businesses using forklifts and mobile plant
- Businesses with pallet racking and storage systems
- Businesses with regular deliveries and vehicle movements
- SMEs wanting an independent view of their warehouse risks
What we look at
We focus on the practical risks that can cause serious injury, equipment damage, disruption and loss.
Forklifts and mobile plant
Forklift operation, pedestrian separation, traffic management, reversing, visibility, speed, parking, charging and general plant controls.
Emergency readiness
Emergency procedures, first aid, fire protection, evacuation arrangements, spill response and whether workers understand what to do when something goes wrong.
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 checklist for self audits.
In addition, you will need to engage a “competent person” for your Annual Certification under AS/NZS 4084:2023.
Manual handling
Lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, repetitive tasks, awkward postures and opportunities to reduce manual handling risks.
Competency
Training, authorisation, supervision and competency for workers operating forklifts, plant, equipment and other higher-risk activities.
Loading docks and vehicle areas
Vehicle movements, pedestrian interaction, loading and unloading, reversing, dock edges, exclusion zones and traffic management.
Hazardous substances
Storage, labelling, Safety Data Sheets, segregation, handling, emergency information and controls for hazardous substances used or stored on site.
What you get
The audit is designed to give management a clear picture of what is working, where the significant risks are and what needs attention.
- A practical assessment of your warehouse safety arrangements
- Identification of significant and critical risks
- Clear observations and evidence from the workplace
- Practical recommendations rather than generic advice
- Prioritised actions so you know what needs attention first
- A report that can be used to support ongoing Health & Safety improvement
How the warehouse safety audit works
We start by understanding your operation and the activities carried out in the warehouse. We then inspect the workplace, talk with workers where appropriate and assess the controls being used.
The focus is on whether the controls are actually working in practice — not simply whether a procedure exists in a folder.
Findings are discussed with you and practical corrective actions are identified.
Warehouse Safety Audit – FAQs
Why should we have a warehouse safety audit?
A warehouse can contain multiple interacting risks, including forklifts, vehicles, racking, stored goods, machinery and manual handling. An independent audit can identify issues that are not always obvious during normal operations.
Does the audit check forklift safety?
Yes. Forklift operation, pedestrian interaction, traffic management, operator competency and related controls are included where relevant to your workplace.
Does the audit include warehouse racking?
Yes. We look at the condition and use of racking, storage practices, visible damage, signage and related controls. Annual certification of racking is a separate specialist activity and requires a competent person.
Is this a compliance audit?
The audit considers your Health & Safety obligations and the effectiveness of your controls, but the focus is on practical risk management rather than simply producing a compliance checklist.
Will we receive a report?
Yes. Findings and recommendations are documented so that management can understand the issues and determine what corrective actions are required.
Can Winsland help us fix the issues identified?
Yes. If you need further assistance, Winsland can help with risk assessments, procedures, training, inspections, corrective actions and broader Health & Safety system improvements.
Need a warehouse safety audit?
If you want an independent, practical assessment of your warehouse risks, talk to Winsland. We help New Zealand businesses identify the risks that matter and put effective controls in place.
Contact Winsland