Discrete Order Picking
Single order picking from case and each locations, covering pick path discipline, label and scan verification at every pick, safe reaching and manual lifting practice, and positioning of the pick cart or pallet clear of the aisle travel path.
- Audience
- Order picking associates
- Review cycle
- annual
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-14
- Revision
- 1
What is in the procedure
7 sections. Regulatory language is fixed and passes through verbatim. Sections marked customized get rewritten around your facility, your equipment, and your job titles.
- 01
Purpose
FixedThis procedure establishes how a single customer order is picked from assigned locations, verified, and staged.
- 02
Scope
CustomizedThis procedure applies to discrete order picking, where one associate picks one order at a time to completion.
- 03
Responsibilities
CustomizedPickers follow the assigned pick path, scan and verify every pick, keep the cart or pallet clear of the aisle travel path, and stop and report any location or product condition that is unsafe or does not match.
- 04
Procedure: Pick Path and Aisle Positioning
FixedWork the order in the sequence the system assigns.
- 05
Procedure: Scan Verification and Safe Retrieval
CustomizedVerify every pick against the system before the product goes in the container.
- 06
Exception and Short Pick Handling
CustomizedStop and resolve rather than substituting by judgment whenever any of the following occurs: the location scan rejects, the product at the location does not match the directed item, the on hand quantity is short of the...
- 07
References
Fixed29 CFR 1910.176 Handling materials, general.
OSHA references
Discrete Order Picking: 29 CFR 1910.176(a)
Every SOP generated from this template cites the paragraphs below, with a plain-language summary of what each one requires. Citations are informational and are not legal advice.
| Standard | Title | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1910.176(a) | Materials handling: use of mechanical equipment | Where mechanical handling equipment is used, sufficient safe clearances must be allowed for aisles, at loading docks, through doorways, and wherever turns or passage must be made. Aisles and passageways must be kept clear and in good repair, with no obstruction across or in aisles that could create a hazard, and permanent aisles must be appropriately marked. |
| 29 CFR 1910.22(a) | Walking-working surfaces: general requirements | Walking-working surfaces must be kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition, free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, spills, and debris that create slip, trip, or fall hazards. |
| 29 CFR 1910.176(b) | Materials handling: secure storage | Storage of material must not create a hazard. Bags, containers, bundles, and other material stored in tiers must be stacked, blocked, interlocked, and limited in height so that the storage is stable and secure against sliding or collapse. |
Compliance checklist
What an inspector looks for
Aisles, cross aisles, and passageways are kept clear of carts, pallets, and totes during picking
29 CFR 1910.176(a)
Pick aisle floors are kept clean and free of wrap, banding, dunnage, and spills
29 CFR 1910.22(a)
Picked loads are built stable and square with no overhang and no view blocking stack height
29 CFR 1910.176(b)
Every pick is verified by scanning the location and the item and confirming a counted quantity
Associates never climb on rack, shelving, pallets, or carts to reach product
Waitlist
Generate this SOP for your facility
At launch you answer the facility questionnaire once and this template comes back with your equipment, your titles, and your sign-off sheet attached.
This page is informational and is not legal advice. Have a qualified safety professional review any procedure before it goes into service at your facility.