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a material handling facility with a pallet drop area that is located on a ledge that has no fall protection

Fall Hazard Secured – Before & After Roly® Safety Gate

Unprotected elevated pallet drop zones are one of the most common—and potentially dangerous—hazards in material handling facilities. When guardrails are removed or modified to allow pallet access, employees are left exposed to serious fall risks.

Exposed ledges often appear after a facility changes or updates applications. What starts as a small modification can quickly become a major safety gap.

The good news is this potential risk can be eliminated without redesigning your entire system.

 

a material handling facility with a pallet drop area that is located on a ledge that has no fall protection
Because it lacks fall protection like a mezzanine safety gate, this pallet drop zone posed a hazard to employees.

Recently, a customer contacted us after realizing a newly created pallet drop area lacked proper fall protection. As shown in the before image, the opening was wide, with a section of guardrail removed—leaving employees vulnerable at the ledge.

Our team partnered with the facility manager to understand the workflow and recommend the best-fit solution: a Roly® mezzanine safety gate.

Why the Roly Safety Gate?

The Roly mezzanine safety gate is designed to eliminate exposure at the edge—at all times. When the front gate opens for pallet loading, the rear gate automatically closes. When loading is complete, the front gate closes before the rear gate opens. Employees are never exposed to an unprotected ledge.

Added Efficiency with Powered Operation

Because pallets were being loaded by lift trucks from below, we added commercial power operation to the gate system. This allowed the lift truck operator to open and close the safety gate remotely, and eliminated the need for an employee on the platform. Adding power to the Roly gate improved productivity and safety.

 

A power operated Roly safety gate makes an elevated pallet drop area safer for employees
The pallet drop zone now has fall protection with the power operated Roly mezzanine safety gate
Fast Installation, Immediate Impact

After taking measurements, the custom power-operated Roly gate was manufactured, shipped, and installed by the facility’s own team.
The result? As seen in the after image, a previously hazardous drop zone now has full fall protection. Employees can work confidently around the pallet drop area without fall risk. In addition, the facility improved operational flow and complied with OSHA fall protection requirements mandating safety devices at an elevation of four feet or higher.

Is There a Hazard Lurking in Your Facility?

If your facility has an exposed pallet drop area, a retrofit safety gate can quickly transform it from a liability into a controlled, efficient process. Contact us today for a quote.