Hostile Environments: 4 Things to Consider

The environment in your facility is a big factor in operations, from manufacturing to material handling. Did you know that the facility environment is also a factor when it comes to the type of safety system that should be installed to keep your employees safe? Without the proper model and material, your safety system could be compromised or corroded, which may cause the materials or paint to contaminate your product, or for the system to fail as a safety solution.

Hostile environments can vary from facility to facility; some feature extreme cold or hot temperatures, while others may utilize frequent washing or rinsing of the area. Often employees are working in these environments to complete manufacturing or material handling tasks, and may work from elevated areas, in which a safety device must protect them from falling while being able to withstand the environment.

We offer many dual-gate safety systems that work in these environments. When looking to secure areas in facilities with hostile environments, it’s important to keep these questions in mind as it will help you select the right safety device for your facility and application.

Is the location of the safety device one that features extreme temperatures?
If your pallet drop area is located in a freezer or refrigerated warehouse, you’ll want a safety device with few moving parts. Our Pivot Model gates operates on steel pins inserted into nylon bushings so they are an ideal solution in this type of area.

Is it frequently rinsed with water or another substance?
When rinsing is involved, it’s key to select a safety gate model that has few moving parts, and uses stainless hardware. All of our standard safety gate models are made with powder-coated mild steel, with options for stainless hardware. We also offer all of our models in all stainless steel construction, with stainless hardware

What are your sanitary requirements?
If the pallet drop area is in a food processing environment, you need to review your own sanitation requirement and to communicate these requirements with the company providing your safety solutions. For our pallet drop gates, electro-polished stainless steel construction is an option. We can also cap all open ends in steel tubing to prevent debris from entering the system. In addition, our safety gates can be designed with no bolt holes in the tubing to further seal the unit.

If power operation is necessary, can the motor handle the environment?
We usually recommend manual operation of our safety gates, but there are instances when power operation is needed. If the safety gate will be located within a hostile environment involving cleaners or chemicals, you may need a sealed motor, or a Class 1, Division 2 “explosion proof” motor if there are ignitable concentrations of flammable gasses.

The key to installing a safety device that will hold up in its environment and function properly when needed is to know your facility environment and your specific sanitation requirements. This information must be given to a qualified manufacturer who specializes in these solutions. Here, at Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, we think we’ve seen it all, and have provided solutions for some very specific environmental requirements, but we welcome new challenges. So please reach out if you have a hostile environment that needs to be secured.