
NAPA Auto Parts Adds Fall Protection to Storage Systems Nationwide
The National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA) stores and warehouses started with a
mission: to improve the distribution of auto parts to serve the people and businesses who
increasingly relied on cars and trucks for their transportation needs. Today, NAPA Auto Parts
stores and Auto Care centers, under the Genuine Parts Company (GPC) umbrella, provide
drivers and automotive technicians with products to keep their vehicles operating safely.
Each retail location features a product storage system that includes elevated pallet drop areas
in order to fulfill one of its top business goals - to have the product available when customers
came to the store in need of the supplies. Thus, the shelving systems are usually packed to
ensure customers do not leave empty-handed.
Safety gates and other protective guarding were considered a space waster. However,
corporate management knew that fall protection was important for employees health and well-
being, as to ensure compliance with OSHA walking working surfaces regulations. NAPA’s
management team set out to find a safety solution that would work in all its stores across the
United States.
Each NAPA Auto Parts store has its own unique shelving system, but most often employees
pick from shelf to shelf. Most stores used sliding gates that relied on employees to move them in
and out of place. But, because the shelves and system were constantly being picked from and
replenished the gates were often left off to the side, which was not only a fall hazard, but also a
trip hazard on the gate as well.
While each store had some of their own unique requirements, height was limited in the majority
of the systems, and room on the sides was scare due to the shelving, so the safety systems
would need to fit into tight spaces. In addition, the company required any safety gates to close
flush with the deck and include 4 inch kick plates.
After researching safety gate options, the retail chain management chose Mezzanine Safeti-
Gates to provide safety gate systems for each store.
Mezzanine Safeti-Gates worked closely with corporate management and the individual store
managers to ensure the safety gate model would be a seamless fit within each store’s shelving
system configuration. Measurements were taken in each store and safety gate model
recommendations were made for each store environment.
The Roly® safety gate was the ideal model for most of the store locations. The original dual-
gate safety system provides an enclosed workstation for employees picking from pallets. When
the ledge gate is open for the pallet area to be replenished, the rear-gate is closed, preventing
employees from accessing the ledge. When the area is ready to be picked, the ledge gate
closes and the rear gate opens, providing access to the material in the pallet drop area. Many of
the Roly safety gates that were installed required custom dimensions to fit within the supported
shelving system.
Some store locations had shelving configurations that required employees to pick from the sides
of the pallet, and in those cases, a Tri-Side safety gate model was installed. When open, the U-
shaped rear gate allows for easy access to three sides of the pallet while the ledge side gate is
closed, preventing falls.
In stores with very tall loads in their pallet drop area, two different models were offered. First, an
Open Top safety gate model offers fall protection at the ledges of pallet drop areas without
using overhead mechanics. In other stores, High Pallet Pivot gates were used in stores to
accommodate pallet loads up to 80 inches tall within the pivoting safety gate design.
While most safety gates were purchased with manual operation, some stores chose to add
power operation to their gates. In addition, some locations opted to include product containment
netting on the ledge gate to ensure loose products would not fall from the pallet drop area.
To date, pallet drop safety gates have been installed in over 150 NAPA Auto Parts store
locations in 20 states, including Hawaii and Alaska, and the project is ongoing. Corporate and
store managers have been very happy with the pallet drop safety gates, as well as the attention
to detail and variety of options that Mezzanine Safeti-Gates provided to ensure fall protection for
their employees nationwide.