Does your work area include a laydown yard? You probably have one but just don’t call it by that name. It’s simply an outdoor space within a warehouse site where you store material and equipment. As you can imagine, such areas can be hazardous, hence the importance of organization.
Common Hazards in a Laydown Yard
Slip and trip hazards are commonplace if you fail to organize the area. Staffers tend to have a habit of throwing items around which creates fall and trip hazards. The area may also have struck-by hazards due to navigating equipment and machinery through tight spaces. Finally, laydown yards may have biological hazards in the form of pests, including insects, snakes, raccoons, etc. Address any infestations—such as a hornet’s nest or an opossum brood—in a timely way.
Organization Is Key
First, consider the location. Be sure you have ample space between the yard and the staging area for the trailer when rigging equipment. The yard and staging areas for machine transportation should be completely separate.
Have a standard operating procedure regarding material placement. Adhere to a list of organizational components.
Laydown Yard Strategies for North American Shipping Facilities
- Keep bulky materials separate from items you need to move frequently
- Avoid excess clutter by discarding or separating materials deemed unusable
- Continually reevaluate collected material in terms of your policy for modifications
- Consider barbed wire fencing around the yard, even if you have an existing fence around the facility premise. Thieves will target whatever they can sell on the black market.
Schedule Your Next Outbound Shipping
A poorly kept laydown yard can create complications when preparing machinery for LTL or dedicated truck transport. This may even cause delays and unnecessary hassles when the carrier arrives for pickup. Machine Transport recommends organizing your laydown yard to reduce downtime. Contact us for more information on this and all your shipping questions.
North American Freight Broker Service: Organizing Your Laydown Yard
Serving the manufacturing industry in the U.S., Canada & Mexico
Posted on April 21, 2022 | Published by Ignite Local | Related Local Business