Top-quality safety solutions for chocolate maker Belcolade
At Belcolade, everything revolves around quality. From growing the cocoa bean, to final product loved worldwide. Every step of their production process is done with the utmost care. This commitment to quality goes beyond the taste of their products—it also shapes their safety policy. For years, Belcolade has relied on Boplan’s expertise and safety solutions to provide the best possible protection for its employees and infrastructure.
Wondering how we make it work? Read on to learn about our long-standing collaboration.
Separating walkways from forklift traffic
The challenge
Protecting pedestrians and infrastructure from collisions
Our safety solutions at Belcolade
A safe workplace starts with insight. As such, Boplan and Belcolade began with a thorough analysis of the site’s risk zones and workflows. Where do pedestrians cross paths with forklifts? Which passages are critical, and where is the risk of damage highest?
The result was a deliberate mix of impact-resistant solutions from the Boplan FLEX IMPACT® range. Each with a specific role in Belcolade's manufacturing environment.
Height restrictors with Touch Barriers
We installed GOAL POSTS at gates, passageways, and forklift lifting platforms. These robust height restrictors provide protection against forklift collisions at height. Their striking yellow color increases forklift drivers’ awareness at critical locations. Boplan's TOUCH BARRIERS are mounted on the GOAL POSTS. An over-height load or forklift first makes contact with this beam. This gentle contact then serves as an immediate warning to the driver. In turn, this helps to prevent damage to gates, lifts, or other infrastructure before it even occurs.
Boplan safety bollards were strategically positioned where structural protection matters most: at gates, columns, line guards, and pedestrian-forklift crossings. These durable posts absorb heavy impacts and then return to their original shape, without causing damage to the floor or vehicle. In addition, these safety bollards also serve as clear guidance. They help to safely guide internal traffic and improve the shop floor flow.
Boplan TB 400 PLUS safety barrier protects pedestrians
Safe walkways with flexible safety barriers and safety gates
To prevent pedestrians from entering forklift zones and being directly exposed to this traffic, Boplan installed more than 110 meters of TB 400 PLUS safety barriers. This FLEX IMPACT® safety barrier combines our single-tube TB 400 safety rail with our HP PLUS handrail.
This barrier is mounted on removable base plates. This makes it possible to easily remove and reinstall barriers, gates, or handrails. This flexibility is useful for maintenance or to provide temporary access for forklifts.
Safety gates for controlled access
At Belcolade, we integrated several safety gates into one safety barrier system. We mounted both our SWING GATES and SLIDING GATES on our robust TB 400 PLUS barriers.
Our FLEX IMPACT® SWING GATE is a bi-directional safety gate that closes automatically. This gate is an effective solution for environments where the doors to corridors or technical rooms are often left open by mistake. Its automatic closing function ensures that passages are always secured. This prevents pedestrians from inadvertently entering hazardous areas.
The Boplan SLIDING GATE opens and closes smoothly on a durable floor-mounted wheel. When opened, the rails slide neatly into the profiles of the adjacent handrail. This keeps impacts with the surroundings to a minimum.
The SLIDING GATE also connects to a support on a removable base plate. The support can be removed to temporarily create a wider passage. This solution was uniquely suited to this project and perfect for the needs of a modern manufacturing environment.
Fall protection
Falling from height is one of the most serious workplace accidents within industrial environments. Because of this, Belcolade chose to implement structural fall protection measures on elevated platforms and mezzanines. Boplan installed its DOUBLE AXES GATE at cage ladders and stair openings.
This TÜV NORD-certified solution is ideal for working at height. For example, elevated work platforms, mezzanines, or technical areas. The DOUBLE AXES GATE closes automatically. Both when ascending and descending ladders or stairs. This ensures the opening is never left unprotected.
Did you know this gate is already in its third generation? The latest version is made entirely of HI-TEP, an exceptionally strong and durable polymer developed exclusively by Boplan®. This 100% recyclable material makes it the most sustainable safety gate in the world.
Boplan TB 260 FENCE protects conveyors
Automated conveyor systems are a vulnerable component of any manufacturing environment. Belcolade needed additional protection for an automatic conveyor belt.
To protect this system from impact and damage, Boplan installed its TB 260 FENCE. This robust solution combines a low safety barrier with an integrated guard wall.
Protection of fire safety equipment
At Belcolade, Boplan installed red safety barriers around fire safety equipment like sprinklers, fire hoses, and emergency control systems. Their color enhances visibility in an emergency and fits seamlessly into Belcolade’s prevention policy.
Want to know more? Read our blog on collective protective measures for fire safety.
TB MINI: effective floor-level safety barrier
Low-level safety barriers are also essential in areas where light rolling equipment is used, e.g., pallet trucks, carts, or smaller transport vehicles. At Belcolade, the TB MINI fulfills this role. With an impact resistance of 5 kJ, this compact barrier consists of a single tube strategically positioned just above floor level. The TB MINI provides clear guidance and serves as an effective buffer against low-height collisions.
Wall protection at floor level
Rolling equipment and forklift forks can quickly cause damage to walls, panels, or machinery when maneuvering. To prevent this, Belcolade installed the Boplan FLIP kick rail. This low yet highly robust protection solution is specifically designed for use at floor level. Thanks to its modular design, this kick rail can be easily adapted to the shape of the wall.
Targeted protection with corner and column protectors
Belcolade’s manufacturing environment contains many structural elements that are vulnerable to collisions, such as columns and pillars. To prevent damage to both infrastructure and vehicles, Boplan installed its corner and column protectors.
Touch Barriers
Smart height restrictors with signal function
Did you know that you can use TOUCH BARRIERS for both signaling at gates and as a smart solution for stacking zones?
Belcolade mounted these polymer tube profiles above its pallet stacking areas. These barriers restrict the maximum stacking height in a simple but effective manner. If an over-height pallet or load strikes the TOUCH BARRIER, the forklift driver is alerted.
DOCK GATE
A safety gate with an impact-resistant barrier arm
The Boplan DOCK GATE restricts access to specific areas while also increasing employee awareness. The physical presence of the gate creates a clear boundary between safe areas and high-risk zones. This increases employee awareness of safety while also preventing unauthorized access.
This solution combines three key functions: protection, visual demarcation, and controlled access. It is ideal for locations where extra vigilance is required.
TB 260
Reliable protection for industrial boilers
The TB 260 protects Belcolade's large industrial boilers from collisions. This robust safety barrier from the FLEX IMPACT® range creates a strong buffer between traffic routes and vulnerable equipment. Precisely where the risk of impact is highest.
With its high impact resistance, the TB 260 absorbs collisions, preventing damage to the floor, vehicle, or infrastructure. After a collision, this barrier springs back to its original shape. This helps to avoid costly repairs or replacements.
Its striking yellow color increases visibility in busy areas, while its modular design enables it to be precisely tailored to the available space for maximum protection.
The result
Thanks to its partnership with Boplan, Belcolade is guaranteed to have a safe, efficient work environment that perfectly matches its vision. Every zone on site is organized carefully. Risk zones are clearly defined. Pedestrians and vehicles kept safely apart, and critical infrastructure remains permanently protected from impact. The flexibility of Boplan's safety solutions makes maintenance easier than ever.
Genuine quality goes beyond our chocolate. It’s also about protecting our people. Boplan helps us make this a reality. Its solutions are easy to maintain, flexible, durable - and above all, reliable.
More about our FLEX IMPACT® safety solutions
About Belcolade
Belcolade is the benchmark for top-quality Belgian chocolate. Part of the Puratos Group, this company supplies sustainable chocolate worldwide that meets the highest quality standards. They apply those same high standards to safety. Which is why Belcolade has trusted Boplan’s expertise for many years. We installed a wide range of safety solutions for Belcolade, from safety barriers and bollards to height restrictors, kick rails, and safety gates.
Are you curious how our safety solutions can make your manufacturing environment safer? Contact us!
Products used in this case
