VIEWS
With the launch of our new web site, we’ve added a blog. Here we’ll keep you updated on the latest news and trends for safety in the material handling industry. That may cover many topics, from the latest forecasts for manufacturing and material handling, updates in regulations and standards from OSHA and ANSI, as well as some of our safety gate installations and custom work.
On the blog you’ll also find updates from some of the organizations we belong to, like MHEDA and MHI, as well as MHI’s ProGMA Committee.
We’re looking forward to sharing our news and views with you, and if there is a topic you would like us to touch on, just let us know.
New RobotGate Provides Fall Protection for Robotic Workforce
We have a brand new safety gate! The RobotGate™ protects industrial robots from falling into shafts of vertical reciprocating conveyors (VRCs) or elevators in automated storage and retreval systems (ASRS) of material handling, warehousing and distribution facilities.
The new RobotGate utilizes a power operated, single gate system that provides fall protection for ASRS automated robots and pallet shuttles as they move from level to level. The steel safety gate interlocks with the elevator or VRC and mounts to existing pallet rack and any floor rails the robots use to move around the area. RobotGate keeps its shaft-facing gate closed in order to keep the robot away from the ledge of the elevator shaft, only opening when the elevator is present and aligned with the floor on that level.
“The investments being made into automation, including robots that help in material handling applications are not small. Just like making an investment in the safety of your human workforce, companies also need to think about investing in the safety of their robotic workforce,” said Aaron Conway, president, Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, Inc. “We created the RobotGate out of need, as many facility managers have reached out after an incident, most of which required a complete replacement of the robot. RoboGates provide the same level of safety for operations, as our Roly® safety gate provides for people and products.”
The RobotGate is another instance in which a custom engineered safety gate design has evolved to become a standard model sold by the company. Other models that started as custom designs include the Open Top, Tri-Side, Dock-Lift and High Pallet Pivot safety gates.
Add Pallet Position Indication Lights to Your Pallet Drop Gates
Did you know we rolled out pallet position indicator lights for our safety gates? The red and green light system provides an easy system for forklift operators to know when the drop area is ready for loading, as well as if the load is correctly in place in the pallet drop area, preventing pallets from being pushed too far into the drop area.
“Fork-lift trucks are one of the most widely used vehicles to load and unload pallet drop areas, no matter the application,” said Aaron Conway, president, Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, Inc. “When elevated pallet drop areas are being loaded, lift truck operators don’t often have a direct line of sight to the drop area, which can cause issues, such as pallets to be pushed too far back into the area. Any time we can provide operator-assist enhancements for lift-truck drivers, such as the stop and go light notifications, it can help the overall facility safety.”
The new pallet position indicator provides notification to the forklift truck drivers; when the light is green, the ledge-side gate is open and the pallet drop area is ready to be loaded. As the forklift truck driver loads pallets into place, the light turns red when the pallet has been positioned correctly, signaling not to push the pallet back further. The ledge gate closes, creating a fall protection barrier for the employees working with the pallet. The light stays red until the pallet drop area has been unloaded.
This system can be added to any new safety gate order or retrofit to existing safety gates. Request a quote today.
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.
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.
Beverage Giant Safeguards Pallet Flow Lanes
A worldwide beverage company recently built a new distribution center, which featured three levels and two large pick modules. The facility, designed to store, move, pick, pack and ship products, includes large pallet flow system to move its products from storage to packing to shipping.
Within the new facility, every inch of space was maximized, include flow lanes for pallets. Due to the goals of using all space, the customer created a unique pallet flow application, with the rollers extending throughout the entire bay, the full 96 by 96 foot flow area, instead of a typical setting in which rollers and aisles are featured in the bay. This made the area very dangerous for anyone to walk out on the bay, due to the rollers; if product got clogged in the system, a fix would require a time consuming process to bring in equipment to unjam the lines.
Given it was a new facility, safety systems that included fall protection throughout the facility were needed to be installed to ensure its future employees would be safe. The pallet flow lanes were a priority - safety could not impede on the continual flow of products in the system. And, while employees are not asked to walk on the flow lanes to dislodge stuck products, it was extremely dangerous for them to do so in the new configuration. All working areas higher than 48 inches above the ground level also had to be guarded to satisfy OSHA fall protection requirements.
The facility manager worked to ensure elevated ledges of pallet flow lanes were guarded to provide a safe environment with fall protection for employees at all times, even while still allowing the flow of materials. Knowing harnesses and fall arrest systems did not work with the employee workflow, they set out to find industrial safety gates for fall protection that would automatically open and close as the pallets were pushed through the system. After reviewing a variety of safety gates for pallet flow lanes, Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, Inc. was selected to provide the equipment.
Maintenance on pallet flow safety gates was a big consideration for the new facility. In some of its other facilities, the pallet flow gates used hinges, which were constantly breaking and having to be replaced. One of the biggest reasons Mezzanine Safeti-Gates was selected to provide the pallet flow safety gates was the springless design, which would save both time and money due to very little lifetime maintenance needed.
The team from Mezzanine Safeti-Gates worked with the facility manager to determine the best fit for the pallet flow safety gates, and also noticed that the outbound lanes would be unguarded. The team suggested using the Roly® safety gate, its dual-gate system. Once each area was measured, the gates went into production and were installed throughout the facility. The pallet flow gates automatically open as the pallet is pushed through the system, and closes behind the pallet once it is through and on the lanes, preventing employees from stepping onto or falling from the edge of the flow lane. The Roly safety gates on the outbound lanes protected employees from the ledge while material was removed from the bays.
When the new facility opened, the pallet flow safety gates were in place to keep employees safe. No maintenance has been needed on the safety gates, even after hundreds of thousands of products have been through the pallet flow system.
Beverage Giant Safeguards Pallet Flow Lanes
A worldwide beverage company recently built a new distribution center, which featured three levels and two large pick modules. The facility, designed to store, move, pick, pack and ship products, includes large pallet flow system to move its products from storage to packing to shipping.
Within the new facility, every inch of space was maximized, include flow lanes for pallets. Due to the goals of using all space, the customer created a unique pallet flow application, with the rollers extending throughout the entire bay, the full 96 by 96 foot flow area, instead of a typical setting in which rollers and aisles are featured in the bay. This made the area very dangerous for anyone to walk out on the bay, due to the rollers; if product got clogged in the system, a fix would require a time consuming process to bring in equipment to unjam the lines.
Given it was a new facility, safety systems that included fall protection throughout the facility were needed to be installed to ensure its future employees would be safe. The pallet flow lanes were a priority - safety could not impede on the continual flow of products in the system. And, while employees are not asked to walk on the flow lanes to dislodge stuck products, it was extremely dangerous for them to do so in the new configuration. All working areas higher than 48 inches above the ground level also had to be guarded to satisfy OSHA fall protection requirements.
The facility manager worked to ensure elevated ledges of pallet flow lanes were guarded to provide a safe environment with fall protection for employees at all times, even while still allowing the flow of materials. Knowing harnesses and fall arrest systems did not work with the employee workflow, they set out to find industrial safety gates for fall protection that would automatically open and close as the pallets were pushed through the system. After reviewing a variety of safety gates for pallet flow lanes, Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, Inc. was selected to provide the equipment.
Maintenance on pallet flow safety gates was a big consideration for the new facility. In some of its other facilities, the pallet flow gates used hinges, which were constantly breaking and having to be replaced. One of the biggest reasons Mezzanine Safeti-Gates was selected to provide the pallet flow safety gates was the springless design, which would save both time and money due to very little lifetime maintenance needed.
The team from Mezzanine Safeti-Gates worked with the facility manager to determine the best fit for the pallet flow safety gates, and also noticed that the outbound lanes would be unguarded. The team suggested using the Roly® safety gate, its dual-gate system. Once each area was measured, the gates went into production and were installed throughout the facility. The pallet flow gates automatically open as the pallet is pushed through the system, and closes behind the pallet once it is through and on the lanes, preventing employees from stepping onto or falling from the edge of the flow lane. The Roly safety gates on the outbound lanes protected employees from the ledge while material was removed from the bays.
When the new facility opened, the pallet flow safety gates were in place to keep employees safe. No maintenance has been needed on the safety gates, even after hundreds of thousands of products have been through the pallet flow system.