Ensure Warehouse Safety with Forklift Separation Products & Pedestrian Crossings

The safety of your employees and visitors is more important than anything else, and it can be a bit more challenging when they’re in the same working spaces as forklifts and powered equipment. Data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics indicates that forklift accidents account for more than 7,000 non-fatal injuries and over 600 deaths over the past decade. In addition to putting your workers at direct risk for personal injury and even fatality, it opens your business up to significant liability. Warehouse Optimizers, Inc. (WOI) provides a variety of forklift separation products to help you keep your employees and equipment working in safe yet distant harmony to reduce the risk of injury and property damage.

Ensuring Seamless Safety and Success

Automated Pedestrian Safety Gate System

Barriers and boundaries are critical when forklifts and vehicles are operating in close proximity to personnel. It starts with a floor plan that clearly designates pedestrian workspaces and walkways and designated forklift and equipment travel areas. Clearly demarcating and distinguishing where man and machine are permitted to travel. Once your plans are established, there are a number of safety features that can be used to help your team know how they are to safely navigate within your facility… and to protect them if things go wrong. 

Here are a few options that can be mixed and matched to provide the best solution to fit your needs.

• Pedestrian Safety Gate Systems – These automated intelligent systems are an ideal way to safeguard warehouse “right of way” and prevent personnel from accidentally walking in front of warehouse vehicles while permitting drivers to maneuver uninterrupted. The system includes automatically operating gates and crossing arms, flashing lights and signage. The fully automated system comes equipped with motion or other types of sensors to detect pedestrian or vehicle traffic. A manual gate system is also available. The WOI team will evaluate your traffic flow and configure the right gate system to optimize your new or existing floor plan. When working with an existing and operational facility, the WOI team will take great care in positioning the gates with minimal disruption to existing rack, conveyor, and traffic aisles.
• Heavy-Duty Guardrails – Guardrails can be the single-most effective tool in clearly delineating pedestrian walkways and preventing forklifts from veering into them. Heavy-duty guardrails can absorb impact from vehicles up to 13,000 lbs. traveling at four miles per hour. Options include manual gates for personnel traffic, lift out rails, and single or double rail design. 
• Bollards – Allow foot traffic to pass through while restricting vehicle access with bollards. Bollards can be made from steel or durable plastic depending on the need and can be permanently or temporarily mounted. Areas such as equipment storage, break rooms, loading docks, doorways and restrooms can be protected from damage and your team can be kept safe with this simple solution.
• Ball Transfer Decks – Walkable decks that make pallet sorting safe and easy without the threat of impact from vehicles. Our decks facilitate heavy-load movement and can be built for interior and exterior use. Ball mats can accommodate a 2,500 lb. pallet that can be moved by hand manually without powered equipment. Decks are designed for each unique application often with the use of slave pallets. Ball floors act as a natural forklift barrier with an 8” above floor height. Decks can be designed to accommodate pallet jack access to completely isolate from forklifts and other powered equipment.
• Signage – Proper signage is not only important it’s required. Clearly designate walkways, emergency exit pathways, personnel and equipment areas, stairways and more. If you need help, the WOI team can do a safety review to ensure your facility is in compliance with proper safety signage.

Let WOI Help You Keep Man and Machine Separate

Warehouse Optimizers, Inc. stands fully ready to help you protect your employees and equipment with our full suite of forklift separation solutions. With our 5 Step Total Satisfaction Experience™ you are guaranteed that we listen and execute your project paying special attention to your particular application, project timelines, safety, and appearance of the finished product. We will walk you through each stage of the process and offer expert customer service and peace of mind.  Contact a member of our team today and chat, Zoom, or call us at (865) 540-4004 for a prompt response. We proudly serve customers in Tennessee, Alabama, and throughout the Southeast.

The WOI team will help you create the environment you need for safe and productive operation and full protection of your team.