Walk the Talk – Warehouse Pedestrian Protection & Safety Products

Every day your valuable workforce, visitors, and customers move through your warehouse on foot. It’s important that you have measures in place to keep all pedestrians protected. Luckily, there are plenty of safeguards you can put in place to clearly delineate space for pedestrians and make sure they have the “room to roam” without incident or injury.

Ways to Ensure Warehouse Pedestrian Safety

There are multiple solutions you can integrate to ensure safe walking through your warehouse, including but not limited to:

• Forklift/Pedestrian Safety Gates
• Guardrail Systems, Barriers, Barricades 
• Motion Detectors, Lights, and Alarms
• Aisle Lighting
• Signage

Forklift/Pedestrian Safety Gates

Forklift safety gates are one of the most immediate and effective resources for keeping vehicles and pedestrians adequately separated. Data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) indicates that 20 percent of forklift accidents involve a pedestrian. Forklift safety gates help clearly delineate designated vehicle areas and provide barriers to promote warehouse pedestrian safety.  

Forklift safety barrier gates can either be automated or manual. They are an ideal way to safeguard “right of way” and prevent personnel from accidentally walking in front of warehouse vehicles while permitting drivers to maneuver uninterrupted. The system includes automatically or manually operating gates and crossing arms, flashing lights, and signage.

• Automated Safety Gates These systems are equipped with motion, RFID, or other types of sensors to detect pedestrian or vehicle traffic and prevent collisions.
• Manual Safety Gates – Require operators to manually push through gates for entry and shut behind them once they’re through.

Certain types of automatic and manual gates can identify the passage of pedestrians and deliver flashes of light or audible alarms to let forklift operators know they’re there. Gates can help control access to pre-determined pedestrian walkways and high-traffic forklift areas.

Barrier and Guardrail Systems

Guardrail systems can be set up at any point in your warehouse to clearly distinguish pedestrian lanes, work areas, breakrooms, etc. from forklift and vehicle traffic areas. Unlike pedestrian crossing areas, guardrails are stationary and offer visual guidance for forklift operators and protection against accidental strikes. They’re available in light-, medium and heavy-duty models and can include handrails for pedestrians’ safety and convenience. They are usually painted a bright color such as “safety yellow” to highlight pedestrian and equipment-sensitive areas. Defining walk paths is a critical step in PIV separation from personnel.

While preventing accidents is the goal, guardrail systems are built to absorb the impact should an accident occur. For example, heavy-duty guardrails can absorb impact from vehicles up to 13,000 lbs. traveling at four miles per hour. Most guardrail sizes are available in one week.

Other guard-type options include installing segments of barrier and blockade. Barrier systems come in durable materials and can be filled with water or sand for weight. Bollards, which are short, sturdy, vertical posts can also be an effective way to allow easy pedestrian access to areas while keeping out large vehicles. These systems can be mounted as permanent or moveable structures.

Motion Detectors and Alarms

Motion sensor and alarm systems can be placed at various points in your warehouse where pedestrians and forklifts are more likely to intersect. Forklift detection sensors alert operators of the presence of pedestrians around rack and aisle areas through motion-sensor technology. LED lights flash to warn workers of the potential for accident or injury. 

Signage and Floor Markings

One other simple thing you can do to improve warehouse pedestrian safety is to make sure you have the appropriate signage to clearly designate walkways, emergency exit pathways, personnel and equipment areas, stairways and more. Floor markings are immediate and cost-effective ways to mark designated areas, including those containing hazardous waste, heavy equipment or storage-only zones. They can either be embedded in the floor, applied with paint or tape or shot blasted. Red and yellow colors should be used to illustrate fire-safety issues and physical hazards. OSHA suggests using consistent color patterns throughout your facility. 

Proper Lighting

The right lighting can eliminate heavy-equipment collisions and reduce the risk of vehicles striking pedestrians. It can also help to make sure your products are stacked correctly to avoid falling on people. There are a variety of concepts to choose from, depending upon the layout of your facility. The three main types include LED lighting, fluorescent lighting and high-intensity discharge lighting. If you need help finding the most energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions for your facility, the WOI team can help.

Workplace/Warehouse Assessment

With a sketch and a few photos of your area of concern, our experts can animate your particular application including powered industrial vehicle and personnel traffic patterns. The animation clearly communicates the desired results of our client. Zoom calls are effective means to show and tweak the animation model for optimum clarity. WOI can recommend a mix of guardrails and gates to accomplish the particular goals of each client once the requirements are defined. Typical delivery of gate and access systems is 4-6 weeks ARO. Electrical requirements and mounting is minimal and can be addressed by WOI sub-contractors. 

Let WOI Help You Keep the Pedestrians in Your Warehouse Safe

If your company is looking to install warehouse safety products or if you could use some out-of-the-box thinking to create a safer, more-productive warehouse, contact the team at Warehouse Optimizers, Inc. (WOI). We are ready to help. Safety is one of our focus points with our 5 Step Total Satisfaction Experience™; you are guaranteed that we will 1. listen to your needs, 2. execute your project with special attention to your unique application, 3. stick to project timelines, 4. ensure a safe environment, and 5. pay close attention to the appearance of the finished product. The WOI team will walk you through each stage of the process and provide expert customer service to deliver great results and peace of mind. Contact a member of our team today, and let’s chat or Zoom. Call (865) 540-4004 for a prompt response. We proudly serve customers in Tennessee, Alabama, and throughout the Southeast.