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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.

Safety: Built to Last

Built to last…it’s a phrase that has been used to describe so many things, from companies to all kinds of products. We take pride in the fact that we build our safety gate systems to last for years - they are durable, ergonomic and provide a safe environment for users.

The concept of built to last really hit home for us over the last few weeks. We heard from two customers that have had our gates in their facilities, each for over 15 years. One company was looking to replace a single part of their safety gate; a roller that had been worn out over years of use. The other company invited us in to take a look at their gates to ensure they were working properly since nobody had serviced the gate over all those years, and also to review additional areas that needed to be secured. We loved seeing the safety gates in action - even our older models are working well after many years, providing fall protection day after day. And it was enjoyable to take a trip down memory lane remembering how we built certain components back then and how we have improved on them today.

We tried to think about what products we have in our office, and even homes, that were over 15 years and still working well. Computers and phone systems have a fairly short shelf life these days - our rack systems and some of our equipment have been in use for about 15 years, but it’s not many pieces.

Every one of our safety gate models is constructed from square tubular steel - either powder-coated mild or electro-polished stainless. The rugged steel construction ensures that the safety gate can be used in any environment and can hold up through daily use even when encountering the lift truck.

Over the years we’ve also made enhancements to our gate designs. In today’s models, we provide impact plates on posts to minimize the damage the impact of a lift truck while it’s loading or unloading pallets to that area. We replaced the original cable drive system with a the heavy-duty chain and sprocket design that now features chain guards with a proprietary locking mechanism that locks the chain in place. We eliminated standard garage door components and now fabricate a rugged welded track system with rounded dull edges to create a smooth, ergonomic transition when the gates are in use.

All of these factors play into the longevity of our safety gate models. They apply to all of our models, whether they are standard or custom designs. Our goal is to provide the best safety gate systems that can provide fall protection years into the future.

The longevity of the gates is something to keep in mind when looking for a safety gate for your facility. What may appear to be the cheapest design may end up being the most expensive if the device falls apart after a love-tap from the lift truck. Instead, look for something well constructed, and talk to people who have installed the gates themselves. And if you hear from someone who has had a dual-gate system for over 15 years, then you know it was supplied by us.

35 Years Focused on Industrial Safety

Thirty-five years in any industry is a long time…we’re celebrating that milestone this year. Mezzanine Safeti-Gates was created 35 years ago by James Conway, and the family business has focused on providing safety gate systems for industrial facilities ever since.

Back then, facilities looked much different - there were not as many levels or intricate picking modules, and manufacturing machinery was very different. Safety was not really top of mind; chains were the most popular way to secure an area for falls, and were often left open and didn’t do a whole lot outside of providing a tripping hazard when they were closed.

In addition, OSHA regulations were not as strict as they are today, and ANSI standards were not even created 35 years ago. These regulations and standards ensure companies take a proactive approach to safety, and today’s professionals are very well-informed about safety, often integrating it into company culture. Industry groups like MHI’s ProGMA and trade shows like ProMAT have also helped to educate the industry about the importance of fall protection.

We can thank Eastman Kodak for starting our focus on safety gates and fall protection. Jim was visiting their facility and noticed a need for fall protection. With a unique background and degrees in engineering, law and business, Jim worked to design the first dual-gate safety system, the Roly® safety gate model for Eastman Kodak’s facility. The safety gate’s design used two counterbalanced gates to secure openings on the mezzanine in the facility. When the ledge gate is down, the rear-side gate is up, providing a barrier at the ledge to prevent employees from falling and allowing access to the material. When the ledge gate is up, the rear-side gate is down, allowing the area to be replenished with material while preventing employees from accessing the area.

After the Roly model was created, we continued to see a need for additional safety gate designs, depending on the application and facility. The Pivot safety gate came next, and was a custom design for Pierce Leahy Archives, which was later purchased by Iron Mountain. There was very limited height where records were being stored, so we engineered the Pivot safety gate to limit the moving parts; the gate operates on just two pivot points, which made it ideal for the areas with low headroom. The design makes the Pivot model a good choice for many applications, including food processing plants where the entire design can be fabricated out of stainless steel.

We invented the Tri-Side model for Walgreen’s. We had worked with the company in the past, installing hundreds of Rack Supported Roly safety gates to secure bays in pick modules in their facilities across the country — that rack supported design was also a first and now a part of our standard product line. When they built a new distribution center, it was noted that they had a few areas in which the pallet drop area was in a walkway and space was an issue. We created the Tri-Side model to take up minimum space on the walkway, and allow side access to the pallet.


Our engineering has continued over the years, and we’ve created many designs that are now standard in our product line. This year we have looked closely at fall protection in docks and on dock-lifts, and created new safety gate designs that protect workers in those operations. In addition, we’ve consistently worked to improve our designs, ensuring they stand up to the rigors of the industry.

Ergonomics has always been a focus of our company, as we know safety gates have to be easy to use to work properly. As technology has improved, we’ve implemented that into our safety gate designs; our gates include kick plates, and we offer a host of accessories, from wire mesh panels to power operation to adding sensors to work with automated vehicles.

Our custom engineering department has also created many unique designs for challenging applications…it continues to be our specialty. We look forward to more years of creating fall protection solutions for industrial applications and keeping your employees safe.

Summer Material Handling Operations

Summertime…if you follow song lyrics, you know that living is supposed to be easy, but if you work outside or in a bustling facility, it may not be the case. Summer brings elevated temperatures, humidity and vacations, all of which can affect worker performance in any facility, but those working on and around elevated platforms and loading docks can be greatly impacted.

We all know summer feels more loose than other seasons - it’s likely that childhood summer break feeling that we have ingrained into our thoughts. However, that summer feeling should never be applied to safety, especially in industrial applications that feature elevated platforms. Protecting workers at all times - even in the easy months of summer - is a mandate.

While summer doesn’t mean you have to change all of your safety procedures, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

Hot temperatures and increased humidity can make employees working in operations - especially those outdoors in the dock - tired. When they are tired, they often work more slowly and attention gets focused on how they feel rather than what they are doing. In these conditions, fall protection is of utmost importance. Make sure that employees are using all of the safety equipment correctly, especially when they are working in applications on elevated platforms or dock operations.

On elevated pallet drop areas, platforms and mezzanines - anywhere an employee works that is elevated inside the facility, dual-gate systems are the right solution. These safety systems use two counterbalanced gates so that when the ledge side gate is down, it provides fall protection for the entire workstation. Employees don’t have to remember to move any equipment back into place when they start picking from the pallet - key when they become overheated.

Safety equipment with automated operations, like our Dock-Lift and Dock gate models, provide automatic fall protection; they don’t rely on tired employees to remember to close the gates. In our Dock Lift design, the gates automatically close as the lift begins to rise, and do not open until they reach the dock or ground level. In our Dock Gate design, the gate automatically closes as the truck drives away. Both provide fall protection without relying on workers to remember to close the gates - key to safety in any season.

In addition to temperature extremes, summer brings many vacations - if there are too many employees with time off, temporary workers can be brought in to meet product demand. In addition, if employees have trouble with child care, they may have to bring their child to work - often these “helpers” can be a distraction for all involved in operations.

New employees must understand all safety procedures and know how to run the equipment properly. Take 15-30 minutes each morning to evaluate any new employees - or those that may have “helpers” to determine what training is needed if any, to ensure a safe work environment.

By taking a little time to ensure your operations are safe and that all employees know how to use fall protection equipment, your summer living may be easy after all.

3 Safety Considerations for Overhead Handling

In today’s facilities, it’s very common to find material handling applications that use overhead equipment like cranes, vacuums or hoists to move material in and out of elevated pallet drop areas. Because employees usually work around these pallet drop areas, it is mandated that these areas provide fall protection.

However, overhead handling equipment can impact the type of fall protection and safety equipment used in the application. It’s important to answer three questions as you seek out the best safety solution — often it’s a dual-gate system, which is mandated by ANSI.

What is the application?
We’ve seen a variety of applications that use overhead equipment. Some applications use the overhead equipment to both load and unload material, with employees picking from the loads while they are in the pallet drop area. Other applications are near hoppers or mixers, with the overhead equipment used to drop off a super sack so employees can open and dump the ingredients into the mixer.

If the application is chemical or food-based, you may need to ensure any fall protection equipment is constructed of stainless steel. This is also the case if the environment in which the equipment is located will be subject to frequent rinsing or extreme temperatures.

How/where do employees interact with the overhead machinery and material?
Given the nature of overhead handling, any safety equipment must allow for the crane, hoist or vacuum to have room to drop the material in the proper space. This means overhead space must be clear. In addition, any swinging motions by the overhead equipment must be taken into consideration so the safety gates can be sure to clear that motion.

Take worker movements into account. How far from the ledge do your employees work? Do they pick from one side of the pallet, or are they moving the heaving material from the drop area to another spot? If side access is necessary, safety gates can be made to allow access on both sides from a ninety degree angle.

How much space is there on the platform with material?
This is an important factor in selecting safety equipment. The space for the pallet drop area and for employees to work with the material is important, as you don’t want the safety barriers impeding productivity.

Measure the space, and be sure to note any special details about the application before you reach out to your safety equipment provider. Safety gates can be customized for width and depth.

Once you’ve answered those three questions, you are ready to move ahead with the purchase of safety equipment. Make sure the safety equipment provides fall protection at all times. Chains that “protect” employees from an elevated ledge can be left open and also provide another safety hazard - the potential for tripping over the chain when it’s closed.

Our Open Top safety gate is ideal for applications with overhead equipment, as the dual-gates are connected on a side so there are no overhead mechanics. This dual-gate design features ergonomically counterbalanced gates with a hydraulic gas assist mechanism that make for easy operation. When the ledge gate opens to the side, the rear gate closes, preventing employees from falls off the platform. The gates are connected with solid torque shaft and hardened gears, which are housed in a metal enclosure to protect the components and to keep people’s hands away from the moving parts.

Overhead vacuums or chain hoists can then access the pallet drop area and can pass through overhead. When the ledge gate is closed, it creates a fall protection barrier at the ledge, and the rear gate opens to the side, allowing employees to safely access the material. In addition to accommodating overhead obstructions, the Open Top is also a good solution if tall pallets are being loaded into the pallet drop area.