Health & Safety: Top 5 Tips for Safety Barrier Design in Your Warehouse

31 July 2017 in Health and Safety Health & Safety Boplan Warehouse Safety Barrier Flex Impact Traffic barriers Forklift Barriers Safety Bollards Safety Barriers

 

Top 5 Tips for Safety Barrier Design in Your Warehouse

At Boplan, we love to see warehouses implementing appropriate measures in order to develop a safe working environment for their employees. We believe safety is key to creating an atmosphere people want to be a part of. When employees feel cared for and appreciated, loyalty and productivity rates increase and employees often become proud ambassadors of your company.

By introducing modern safety measures to your warehouse, your business can significantly reduce the risk of errors and accidental harm to your employees. You can help minimise the chance of accidents and errors by implementing safety procedures such as:

  • Adequate industry training
  • Protective work wear and equipment
  • Standards for handling and racking
  • Designated routes and walkways
  • High-performance Safety Barrier Systems 

 

Independent Testing Procedures

You can be confident our products are as good as we say they are. We believe in external testing without any in-house influence, so we liaison with the trusted Transpolis Laboratory to independently crash test our products, analyse the data and conclude the results. Transpolis Lab’s sole purpose is to improve innovation in the transport and road sector. The research is led by Doctor Edmondo di Pasquale of Princeton University, who has over 25 years’ experience in the industry and has worked with the likes of Renault and Ferrari.

 

FLEX IMPACT® Safety Barriers

 

The FLEX IMPACT® range includes a variety of safety bollards and barrier products fit for any warehouse requirements. The different sizes, strength capabilities and unique purposes available allows business owners to purchase or lease a handpicked bespoke product. The materials are anti-corrosive, chemical resistant, easy to transport and require little maintenance.

The ultra-durable polypropylene material used to create the FLEX IMPACT® safety barrier range reduces the power of a collision by absorbing and isolating the impact of the crash. The impact is captivated within the safety barrier, lessening the damage to the driver, vehicle and floor.

Integrating this flexible and versatile solution to your warehouse will bring your business up to speed with modern day safety standards. It will also ensure the continued peaceful operations of your business with minimal disruptions.

 

Determining the Suitability for your Warehouse

 

The aforementioned benefits of FLEX IMPACT® products can be applied to a plethora of industries, from food storage and manufacturing to retail products and wholesale. This adaptable product can be added to sites which are small, medium, large or colossally sized and it is suitable for all warehouse environments. The first and most obvious tip for any business owner considering adding a safety barrier to their warehouse is to answer - what are my needs?

Calculating which areas of your warehouse you would describe as being ‘risk’ or ‘sensitive’ points will assist us when determining your protective needs. Areas containing things like fridges or pedestrian walkways, shelves holding fragile items or surfaces with expensive machinery which your business depends on, need to and should be appropriately protected. Consider what kind of industrial vehicles will be regularly present in your workforce, how much traffic there will be and the route they will be taking. If you have a forklift using the same corridor as your delicate products or valuable machines, you can consider this an area which needs protection. Consider a FLEX IMPACT® forklift barrier to protect your valuable products.

 

It’s Not Worth the Risk

 

Imagine the devastating effect a collision involving a heavy-duty forklift and a conveyor belt could have on your businesses operations. By outlining key areas you feel are at risk of collision from industrial vehicles, you can pre-emptively stop accidents from occurring. There really isn’t anything more important than the wellbeing of your workforce and the welfare of your machinery. So why take the risk?

 

It’s Better to be Overprotected

 

You may or may not consider the floor of your warehouse to be an extremely important asset but if it is damaged, it can cause serious complications to your business. How can your floor be easily damaged you may be thinking? When steel barriers are hit with force, the impact is pushed down to the baseplates which fix the barriers into the ground. Bolts are twisted and unearthed, cracking concrete and creating havoc for your commercial operations as vehicle and pedestrian routes will be temporarily unsafe and unusable. Mortar mix restorations combined with a self-levelling compound will need to be actioned. Our FLEX IMPACT® barriers absorb the impact of the collision and disperse the power across the body of the barrier rather than direct it to the baseplates.

Before choosing a state of the art safety barrier capable of adequately protecting your warehouse’s current needs, it is important to consider what lies ahead in the near future. The movement of vehicles in your warehouse might seem one dimensional or straight forward now, but it is important to prepare for the future and to ensure adequate safety measures are put into place now to save on costs later.

 

Completely Modular and Adaptive

Unlike traditional steel barriers, our products are completely modular. This makes for an adaptable product range, allowing you to be thoroughly selective when choosing your protective barrier options. You can combine various FLEX IMPACT® barriers to create a tailored barricade, within one line-up. At any time, they can be upgraded, adapted, increased and transported to different places on your site as your business evolves. If you anticipate an expansion soon, or a different or more diverse working environment could be a possibility, then you should prepare accordingly. This can be achieved in a number of ways:

  • Identify the areas where more fragile products could be held.
  • Choose a safety barrier strong enough to counter the impact from a heavy vehicle you believe could be with you soon.
  • Recognise zones in your warehouse which could become populated with lots of pedestrian workers walking past and through.
  • By choosing to initially prepare for the future, it shows you are determined to expand and devoted to growth.

 

How to Choose Suitable Products

Once you have identified ‘risk’ points or regions you want to give optimum protection to, you need to decide on a safety barrier which is right for you. Some areas may require a stronger more resilient option, whilst areas containing things of smaller monetary worth or less pedestrian activity may require a lighter, more affordable safety barrier. This is one of the many great reasons why the team at Boplan are industry leaders, they appreciate that every business is different and requires safety measures which are unique to their needs. By providing ample choices, Boplan have created a distinctive product catalogue of damage preventive safety barriers like no other.

As previously stated, the FLEX IMPACT® range contains a vast catalogue of modern, high-performance products. Beginning with the TB Mini, the lightest and smallest safety barrier on offer, right up to the TB Triple Super, providing a robust defence, with protection from large vehicles and high-impact collisions in mind. The TB Double looks just like a typical guardrail but is capable of safeguarding your workers, even from the heaviest of industrious vehicles. Whereas the TB 200 is a unique wheel stopper, mounted low to the ground and used as a separation zone for vehicles.

When browsing the product catalogue, you will notice just how extensive the range of FLEX IMPACT® safety barriers is. The all-encompassing product availability allows you to rest assured knowing you have the right amount of protection. Some of the most well-known household names use our products and in return receive sufficient protection for their workers, pallet racks, conveyors, and products.

 

Deciding on an Appropriate Layout

With proper preparation, you can create an optimized work space for you and your colleagues to enjoy and be proud of. By now you should have an idea of which sections of your warehouse you think require safety barriers. Don’t worry if not, we will guide you all the way. Next, you should be looking to determine how the safety barriers can be installed onto the premises without creating an obstruction for your vehicles or workforce.

It is imperative that you are aware of the spaces your vehicles use up to manoeuvre, and the routes they will regularly take, so that no potential issues in the layout of the safety barrier system are overlooked. With thoughtful planning and consideration, we can help you predetermine new routes and adapt old ones for your vehicle fleet. To ensure pedestrian workers can get to where you need them to be efficiently and safely, integrating crossing points to your layout allows for movement of workers freely and securely around the warehouse.

 

Include Convenient Crossing Points

Most company warehouses will attempt to avoid having vehicles and pedestrians sharing the same workspaces in order to minimise the risk of accidents. However, in reality, it is sometimes unavoidable. In the instances when it is necessary for vehicles and workers to cross paths, to help create a safe working environment, designated crossing points for workers should be made apparent and be clearly visible to both pedestrian workers and vehicle operators.

These crossing points should be well lit and employees should be informed and instructed to solely use these specific tracks when moving around the warehouse. Crossing points should be kept to a minimum when possible so that vehicles are able to move as freely as possible throughout the warehouse and easily recovered or moved when a breakdown occurs.

 

There You Have it!

Boplan are quality manufacturers of safety materials and flexible guardrails for ultra-demanding environments. The company’s products are available to either purchase or lease and have already secured the support of global brands such as Ikea and Coca-Cola. At Boplan, the team truly believe they are changing the world with their lifesaving and warehouse safety products.

Boplan aren’t finished just yet either, as they are consistently growing and evolving in order to remain industry leaders and ahead of the pack. This ensures the products and service you receive are the most innovative and the best performing solution available on the market today.

The UK headquarters for Boplan is based in the lovely city of Wolverhampton. If you would like some more information on their products and services, you can contact them directly on 01902 824280 or visit their contact page to send a direct message. The company has a number of representatives worldwide, so it may be worth looking on their site to find your best option.

Remember, safety is paramount for any operating business and as a business owner it is your duty to ensure it is upheld at all times. Safety barriers are just the tip of the iceberg, but they are a fantastic place to start, considering the number of vehicle related accidents there are in the UK every single day!