The average warehouse worker tends to find themselves learning how to use an awful lot of tools.

From hand-scanners and RFID devices, to a number of industrial tools like drills and screwdrivers, the various duties of a warehouse worker tend to, over time, include the usage of a lot of extra equipment. And while these tools may be necessary to get the job done, an equally necessary step in warehouse management is keeping these tools safe – both from damage, and from spreading any potential disease.

Particularly for hand tools that tend to get lost or damaged during use, or anything that’s difficult to keep on your person while moving packages, keeping your tools safe and close by can be a tricky prospect. We’ve got a few strategies here for keeping your warehouse tools safe, sterile, and secure whether in use or in storage:

Warehouse Tool Storage Tips

Storage Tips for Hand & Power Tools

In the warehouse, there’s plenty of reasons you might need industrial hand tools or industrial power tools. Maybe you need to set up new warehouse shelving or rivet racks, maybe something needs a quick repair, maybe you’re even partially involved with assembling or preparing products before shipment.

Tool storage generally requires two steps: long-term storage, and storage while in use. Any worker that needs to carry equipment with them would be well-advised to use tool bags to transport them throughout the warehouse as needed.

When they’re no longer in use for the day, however, is another story. Especially these days, when businesses need to be more concerned about potentially spreading germs throughout the workplace, a hygienic solution would be needed. At any of your available workbenches, make sure to provide any needed supplies for cleaning your tools off after work, such as antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer for use at the end of every shift, or when someone else is going to start using the same tools. If no workbenches are available, then using germ free wire shelving or some form of NSF shelving is a good storage alternative that can help fight the spread of germs.

Storage Tips For Warehouse Tablets & Scanners

Of course, with the changing workplace landscape, warehouse tools have had to keep up. Gone are the days of meticulous counting – modern warehouses have an array of electronic devices like barcode scanners and RFID scanners to help keep a better eye on their current inventory. Storing and using them, however, is another manner entirely.

Most handheld electronic devices like scanners aren’t really designed with ergonomics in mind; indeed, many of them are repurposed Android or iOS devices that weren’t really built to be held in a way conducive to warehouse usage. For this, many warehouse workers have turned to using tool holsters that can easily hold devices of that size without causing a lot of strain on the wrist and arms when they’re not in use.

These devices also need to be stored in a more cautious manner due to their comparative fragility (even if you have expensive OtterBoxes on everything). A lot of warehouses either use special shelves with charging stations, or they keep them in a separate office with office organizers to keep them where the staff can easily access or recharge them as needed. Similar to the other types of tools, you should make sure to provide cleaning supplies to help wipe them down after each use – after all, nobody wants to share germs or smudgy fingerprints after a shift.

With these tips, your needed warehouse tools and devices should all be close at hand, right where they need to be.