Chapter 5.2
Impact protection
Traffic has always been a source of risk for people and sensitive equipment. Below, we explore the benefits of implementing impact protection in production and warehouse facilities.
Chapter 5.2
Traffic has always been a source of risk for people and sensitive equipment. Below, we explore the benefits of implementing impact protection in production and warehouse facilities.
In this webinar the safety expert Matthias Schulz discusses how industrial barriers play a vital role in ensuring safe traffic flow within production and warehouse facilities. Learn practical strategies and solutions to improve safety and efficiency. The webinar stars at the 1:10 minutes mark.
People are hit, crushed or even run over by industrial trucks, often with serious injury or death as the consequence.
In one European country alone 33834 accidents with industrial trucks and material transport carriages occurred in 2023. Eight people were killed, and 402 people injured serious enough to become accident pensioners ("Statistik Arbeitsunfallgeschehen 2023", DGUV). The enormous number of accidents is a good reason to look at your facilities and check what can be done to reduce risk. In some countries taking measures to prevent on-site traffic accidents are required by law.
Traffic has always created risks to humans, building infrastructure and equipment, both on the street and inside workplaces. People involved in accidents with trucks, AGV's, forklifts and other industrial traffic often come with serious injury or death. Meanwhile this traffic can also cause costly damages to buildings and assets such as columns, walls and other operation equipment.
Overall, there are key considerations when it comes to improving your on-site traffic safety including:
A pedestrian barrier is a type of fencing that clearly defines the pedestrian route in an environment where vehicle traffic is present.
A pedestrian barrier can serve as an impact barrier at the same time if a collision was to occur, however the goal is to keep moving vehicles and people separate.
Some companies decide to stick with floor markings such as tape to differentiate between pedestrian walkways and traffic routes, however this can go unnoticed, and accidents can occur.
Better: Install pedestrian barriers that physically separate people from vehicles.
Where to install pedestrian barriers?
An impact barrier is a strong, protective post or bar that reduces costly damages to assets and injuries to staff. These barriers can come in a range of lengths, heights and sizes.
An impact barrier is not there to avoid impact, it is there to absorb the impact energy and protect from any collisions.
Within a warehouse environment, forklifts can cause costly damages to equipment and installations including pallet racks, compressor stations and cool rooms. These damages can put staff in danger, increase workplace downtime and cause costly replacements to the business.
Therefore, it is important to understand where impact barriers would be necessary to avoid these damages including:
