Fall Protection in Rack Supported Pick Modules
Many facilities utilize rack to support storage and operations; in fact, we’ve been in many facilities in which the rack systems seem to go on forever. Pick modules and rack systems go hand in hand in material handling operations, and when that is the case, employees working around pallet drop zones need fall protection.
Fall Protection for Pick Modules
A rack manufacturer contacted our team when one of its customers started to build a large new distribution center. Employees were going to be picking from full pallets within the pick module, and to ensure fall protection, the rack manufacturer knew safety gates should be built into the structure. They asked us to provide safety gates for several pick modules that were going to be built in the distribution center.
After reviewing the building plans and discussing the way the pick module and bays were going to be set up, we realized that we’d need to customize the gates, no matter the model. The bays in which employees would be working were 156 feet wide to accommodate three pallet positions. Any safety gate made that wide would need additional ergonomic measures for easy operation. Also, space in the bay was tight, so the pick module safety gates had to take up minimal space.
Space was a precious commodity, and the pick modules were being built into a large rack system. We determined that the safety gates provided must be in a rack supported design. In this configuration, the gates directly attach to the rack uprights instead of taking up space in the bay.
Solution: High Pallet Pivot Rack Supported Safety Gates
The best rack supported safety gate model for the client’s system was the High Pallet Pivot safety gate because it could accommodate material in the three pallet positions in each bay. This model uses dual, counterbalanced gates that are interconnected with multiple pivot points to maintain a safe environment for employees at all times. Rack Supported High Pallet Pivot gates handle pallet loads up to 80 inches tall, and take up a minimum amount of space on the platform. Safety gate support structures attach directly to the rack uprights, allowing the rear-side gate to close behind the pallet and to open up and out of the way when the ledge gate is closed. This maintains a safe environment at all times without any of the gate structure protruding into the picking aisle.
At our factory, a test model of the custom Rack Supported High Pallet Pivot safety gate was assembled to ensure that the custom safety gate was up to standards before manufacturing the gates and shipping it to the facility. Made 13 feet wide and out of heavy square steel tubing, we ensured the safety gates would be ergonomic by including our hydraulic gas assist mechanism to help make operation effortless.
Prior to the opening of the distribution center, the installation of the gates ensured fall protection for employees from day one. The extra wide gate systems allow for three pallet positions and provide a safe environment for the workers in the bay at all times.
