OH&S

Managing visitors in your storage facility

by Stephen Pehm Action OHS Consulting.

While we are in the midst (globally speaking) of the current COVID-19 Pandemic, ensuring that you know who has visited your storage facility has never been more important. While you may have a record of visits to your storage by at least one of your storers (the person who enters the code), there is no way of telling who else may have entered your facility with this person or even if the person you authorised to use the code actually used it, especially if you do not have a video security system. It makes good sense to continually manage your visitors, not only from a COVID-19 management perspective but also because:

- Visitors who damage your facility or steal items can be easily identified.

- You can identify visitors who have not been inducted into your facility and induct them into what is expected of them.

- Contractors who enter your facility to do work should be inducted into your safety rules.

- It provides peace of mind if you are secure in knowing that only authorised visitors are on site.

Visitor management is easy. All you need to do is apply some simple rules, which are as follows:

1 - Have some simple directions for visitors to follow, namely: how to escape the premises in the event of an emergency, who to report a safety issue or emergency to, and where the first aid kit is in case they hurt themselves. In addition, ensure that they are clear about who (are children or pets welcome?) or what they can’t bring on site. If you have a forklift on site, it is highly advisable not to let your storers use it unless they have a high-risk work license for driving a forklift. there are many QR Code Apps that can be easily downloaded. For example, there are Government Apps in New Zealand, NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. If you want to do more than just record visitor names and contact phone numbers, you can use an online visitor management system. Many online OHS Management systems have features to enhance your visitor experience. For example, with Safety Champion, you can incorporate safety and other facility-related information into the sign-in process using the site attendance module. You can also send communications to new storers and their contacts when they first sign up via targeted communications. Either way, the information gathered can be used as evidence that you are managing visitors in your facility and provide added assurance that you will be easily able to track visitors to your facility if you need to.

“With the presence of COVID-19, there are many QR Code Apps that can be easily downloaded.

2 - Have a system for getting evidence that they have been informed of these rules. An induction checklist attached to the storage contract, which they sign and give to you, may be a helpful way of doing this.

3 - Occasionally monitor who is coming on-site as part of good safety practice.

4 - If a visitor who is not a storer comes on-site, ensure they sign in and also induct them, especially if they will be doing work while not accompanied by a staff member.

Apart from access codes, you can use a variety of ways for capturing visitor details on site. The easiest way of doing this is a visitor book. With the presence of COVID-19, Want to find out more? Check out the SSAA Health & Safety Handbook on the Member Services Portal, SSAA website, or contact the SSAA OHS Help Desk via admin@selfstorage.com.au | 1800 067 373.

The OH&S Help Desk has been established by the SSAA to support its members. This advisory service is free. Free call 1800 067 313 (Australia); 0800 444 356 (New Zealand); or emailadmin@selfstorage.com.au.