White lines don't do it
June 1st 2010

The British warehouse industry must

demand more stringent standards on the

demarcation of pedestrian walkways to

boost safety

Halifax-based safety barrier manufacturer, A-Safe is calling

for stronger standards relating to the demarcation of

pedestrian walkways. The company cautions that unless

action is taken it will be more difficult to improve safety

performance in the warehouse.

Under current standards, road and pedestrian walkways should

be demarcated, but this can be interpreted widely from physical

barrier systems to a simple line painted on the factory floor.

HSE figures show that over the past two years there have been

3,827 major injuries to workers as a result of workplace transport

accidents, with 117 workers fatally injured over the past two years

as a result. Being struck by a moving vehicle accounts for more

than half of all fatal transport-related injuries.

A-Safe director, James Smith says: "Warehouse accidents

involving pedestrians and vehicles are unfortunately a high risk

associated with the manufacturing and warehousing industry, and

currently there is no standard to provide workers with the best

protection available.

"There isn't a standard there to explain exactly how people and

vehicles should be separated - with a physical barrier and what

type of force it should be able to resist. At the moment, the HSE

looks at each warehouse on a case-by-case basis and decides

whether safety measures are appropriate.

"There is no comparison when it comes to a painted white line

versus a tough barrier system, and companies have to ask

themselves whether the cost of a safety system is justified against

the value of keeping their staff safe."

A-Safe is seeking to make safety barrier systems with

independent loading tests and safety specification criteria an

industry standard. This is to avoid companies only looking to

introduce safety barriers with poor safety and performance

standards or only once a serious accident has occurred.

"We are asking company owners to look at the cost

implications of installing physical barriers versus the value of

protecting their workforce from accidents and the consequences

and penalties this would incur," Smith adds.

A-Safe recently carried out work for a client that had suffered

an on-site fatality and wanted to revise its safety procedures.

Smith continues: "The warehouse in question now has A-Safe

pedestrian barriers which are crucial in demonstrating layout and

safety systems.Where employees see the A-Safe yellow barriers

they instantly understand what it is and why it is there."

High impact

A-Safe advocates its pedestrian and vehicle barrier systems which

use the company's patented and highly visible plastic systems

which are said to be tough, durable and able to withstand impacts

from factory vehicles of up to 304KN. This is the equivalent of a

3.5 tonne vehicle travelling at 10MPH with a direct head on

impact into the barrier (the weight or speed of the vehicle can

dramatically increase as the impact angle changes). All A-Safe

barriers have been certified BS6180 and BS6399 - the closest

relevant standards, which were created primarily to govern car

parks and building exteriors.

Smith advises companies to consult with experts such as A-Safe

when specifying barriers as the specific needs of each warehouse

must be considered.

"The design of floor is important," he says, "as the barrier needs

to be attached correctly to the floor. Likewise fixings must be

specified correctly.

"We've seen some large companies use old racking bolted to

the floor as protection but what kind of force can this stop? Yes it

is a physical barrier, but what has it been tested to?"

A-Safe has developed over 50 variations of its products to suit

different applications. Traditional steel barriers have been

synonymous with strength, however A-Safe argues that its plastic

systems offer strength and a number of other benefits.

Smith concludes: "Each system has been manufactured from

special high-impact coloured polymer and provides high impact

absorption with little or no damage so maintenance and long

term upkeep costs are minimal.

"While traditional steel barriers may fulfil their function under

impact, this will cause damage to both the barrier structure and

the vehicle itself."

A-Safe has over 25 years of experience in the industry, and has

several high-profile clients across a wide-variety of industries

including ASDA, Coca-Cola,

DHL and Toyota.

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