EP 256: Warehouse Cleanliness

In this episode, I discuss something very important in the warehouse, cleaning! This is an incredibly important part of maintaining a well-run operation and I hope that sharing some of my experiences can help you as well. I also hope that I can learn from your experiences so please leave a comment below with your tips for keeping a clean warehouse.

Key Takeaways

• Cleaning your warehouse is important because it creates a better overall work environment for your employees. It not only makes people feel more comfortable but it can also have a positive impact on productivity and reduce safety risks throughout the facility. As I discuss in the episode is also something that can be impressive to new hires and maybe be a swaying factor when candidates are considering different places to work. From a safety perspective, having trash or other debris throughout the warehouse can create tripping hazards or potential issues for forklift operators that can lead to accidents.
• Saying you are going to clean is one thing but it is important that it is a part of your culture. To start this you need to ensure that you have proper standards in place and have expectations in place for employees. Without this everyone will just come up with their own definition of what cleaning means and you will have some areas cleaned to a certain level while others are to a minimal level. Once you have these set then you can properly communicate these to the employees and they can easily follow the guidelines. Being sure to enforce these standards is also key to having employees understand their importance in the everyday workflow.
• One key point in keeping your warehouse clean is that you have to enable your employees to be able to do this. Having the right tools to clean is incredibly important so that they can do the job that they need to do. Just like you want to provide the proper equipment for them to pick or ship you want to be sure that cleaning is easy for them. It needs to feel like less of a chore and more as part of the daily routine. If they suggest something that would make it easier for them then listen and act.

Listen to the episode below and leave your thoughts in the comments.