Written By: Chris Turano, Quench’s Senior Vice President, Field Service & Supply Chain
It is no secret that the cost of injury prevention is far less than the cost of an injury. As a leader of a team of 220 field service technicians, I understand that keeping my employees safe and healthy is the key to running smooth operations. That’s why I require all my employees to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and conform to all customer requirements. A safe and healthy workplace protects employees from injury and illness, reduces absenteeism and turnover, increases productivity, boosts employee morale, and lowers injury and illness costs. In fact, manufacturing businesses with successful warehouse safety and health systems reduce injury and illness costs by 20 to 40 percent, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
From operating large machinery to handling potentially hazardous materials, OSHA standards help protect workers from harm. Some OSHA standards, such as citations associated with drinking water, even safeguard against potential illness. OSHA requires businesses to provide free potable water and permit employees to drink it, which is why our Quench warehouses are fully equipped with Quench bottleless water coolers. Traditional water delivery services can address OSHA’s hydration requirements, yet they tend to come with added safety hazards. Unlike typical five-gallon water jug dispensers, Quench bottleless water coolers seamlessly conform to OSHA’s warehouse safety standards. They even offer a few added bonuses.
Bottleless water coolers:
1. Remove unnecessary obstacles
One of the most logical safety tips for warehouses to follow would be to eliminate tripping hazards like stray water jugs. Five-gallon water jug dispensers might seem like a viable hydration solution for your workers, but they come with added clutter from replacement jugs. It is also counterproductive to require essential workers to spend their time and energy lugging heavy water jugs across thousands of feet of warehouse floor when they could be spending their time more wisely (i.e., packing, shipping, and picking products). Instead of wasting valuable time and creating potential tripping hazards, replace your five-gallon water jug dispensers with bottleless water coolers. Bottleless water coolers pull water right from your building’s water supply and filter that municipal water on-site, eliminating the need to replace water jugs every few hours.
It is also important to note that our installers can run water lines virtually invisibly: behind walls, above dropped ceilings, or under baseboards. This installation practice ensures the tubing and wiring connected to your water cooler are out of sight and out of your workers’ way.
2. Offer leak protection
Water leakages are one of the most common malfunctions the average water dispenser can have. Leaking water dispensers could spell disaster for workers traversing your facilities in pallet jacks, forklifts, or even by foot. Leaking water can also seep into nearby boxes or goods and destroy a bulk of items meant to go to customers. You can sidestep any looming mishaps involving large puddles by simply going bottle-free. Bottleless water coolers require manual dispensing and they stop releasing as soon as you stop using the machine. Many of our products also offer automatic leak detection and shut-off even if employees forget to close them. Plus, our installers are armed with top-of-the-line fittings, tubing, and other plumbing components to keep the water within your building’s plumbing system.
3. Eliminate the need to lift heavy jugs
Between driving forklifts, stacking boxes, and managing day-to-day warehouse operations, your workers exert enough energy as it is. Don’t add unnecessary strain to their workday by making them lift and carry a 42-pound jug every time the five-gallon water jug dispenser runs dry. Since bottleless water coolers connect to your building’s waterline, they never run out. That gives your workers more time to do the job you’re paying them to do and removes risks associated with lugging around heavy water jugs.
4. Keep your workforce healthy
Easy access to an endless supply of water via a bottleless water cooler removes barriers to hydration and reduces the risk of illness in the workplace. Hydrated bodies are better equipped to fight off infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and maintain proper organ function. Plus, when a brain lacks H2O, synapses are slower to communicate and it becomes harder to pay attention, remember information, and recall long-term memory. All those are important functions for doing a job well.
I recommend adding multiple water coolers to all the major sections of your facility to lower the barrier to hydration even more. Our studies show that 36 percent of workers avoid filling their water bottles because they do not have time to hydrate during the day. With more water coolers in your facility, your workers will spend less time walking and more time hydrating and getting their work done.
If you do decide to go bottle-free and get a Quench bottleless water cooler for your warehouse, you can rest assured that your building’s drinking water supply will be clean and great tasting. Traditional water coolers often require a thorough cleaning every few weeks to remove contaminants like dirt, rust, limescale, and mold. Not Quench bottleless water coolers. Quench’s water machines come with top-of-the-line sanitization technologies like UV sanitization to prevent a build-up of those unwanted impurities. Quench bottleless water coolers also use advanced filtration such as carbon filtration and reverse osmosis to reduce chemical contaminants within the water itself.
You can reduce potential illness and cross-contamination even more by opting for one of our touchless water dispensers. Touchless water dispensers allow users to dispense water from a bottleless water cooler without contacting their machine. Instead, users can dispense touchless water coolers via paddles, foot pedals, QR codes, or infrared sensors. Learn more about all the touchless water dispensers we offer and how to upgrade to a touchless water dispenser here.
Quench Bottleless Water Coolers are Installed by Experts
The safety of your workers is our top priority during the installation and maintenance process as well. To ensure your workplace remains as safe as possible, Quench technicians adhere to OSHA standards and your business’s unique safety protocols as they work to provide your building with fresh drinking water. My team of installers conducts technical site surveys where they evaluate the secure routes for water lines and the best placement for coolers. They also work closely with a building’s facilities management to understand the site and avoid any routing or placement issues. Plus, Quench technicians are certified at operating boom trucks and aerial lifts, and they are able to install bottleless water coolers in buildings of all sizes.
A technician’s job is not over once he or she has completed your bottleless water cooler installation. Quench technicians routinely conduct an 11-point inspection and maintenance service on all your Quench machines. A preventive maintenance service call is administered every six months or yearly for water coolers and coffee brewers and bi-annually for ice machines and most sparkling water coolers.
Technicians are also equipped with smartphones running Quench’s service app to track your cooler’s information and service history. Our ERP system enables our centralized Care team the ability to monitor our customers and schedule our technicians to work on your machines whenever they need maintenance. This frees up any burden from you having to remember to call your service tech for regular maintenance.
Take the Next Step Towards a Safer Warehouse
Your employees work hard to keep your business running smoothly. It is your job to keep them safe. A Quench bottleless water cooler for your warehouse or distribution center can bring you a step closer towards achieving safer warehouse operations.
Ready to make the switch to a safer hydration solution? Call a Quench Water Expert today at (888) 877-0571 and we’ll set you up with water machines that fit your unique requirements.
