The United States Department of Labor statistics indicates that in 1999 falls accounted for approximately 12 percent of all work-related fatalities. During that year, 716 people were killed by falls in the workplace, with 488 of those fatal falls occurring in non-construction industries. In the same year, according to the Department of Labor there were 297,499 falls that resulted in injuries involving days away from work. Only 40,061 of those non-fatal falls occurred in the construction industry. Employee injuries sustained in falls are among the leading causes of lower productivity, missed workdays, higher insurance premiums due to increased workmen's compensation claims, and recruitment costs to hire new employees. 

Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a leading provider of products and services supporting the health care industry. Cardinal Health companies develop, manufacture, package and market products for patient care; develop drug-delivery technologies; distribute pharmaceuticals, medical, surgical and laboratory supplies; and offer consulting and other services that improve quality and efficiency in health care. The company, headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, produces annualized revenues approaching $38 billion. 

Cardinal operates numerous distribution centers in North America. Each center has multiple levels for the storage and retrieval of products. Employee safety was of paramount concern to Cardinal Health.

"We were using 'lift-out' mezzanine guardrail sections," said Ken Douglas, Cardinal's Facilities Project Manager. "These sections were heavy and cumbersome. We needed to find a simple and cost-effective means to ensure employee safety without negatively affecting production."

Cardinal searched for safety products, and enlisted Semco, Sweet & Mayers, Inc., to assist in selecting the optimal solution. After evaluating solutions from two companies, Cardinal Health chose to install Mezzanine Safeti-Gates' Roly(R) Safeti-Gate, the market leader in mezzanine safety.

"The use of Mezzanine Safeti-Gates products has provided our client with the safest method of placing or removing pallets of merchandise on or from the mezzanine level," said Wink Davenport, vice president, Semco, Sweet & Mayers, Inc. "The use of either the lift-up gate model or pivot style is simple, effective and extremely easy. I strongly recommend their use."

The Roly Safeti-Gate is designed to guard against accidents, personal injury and material damage. The gates create an enclosed workstation that provides protection for both the worker and materials during loading and off-loading operations. Roly gate systems are permanently anchored to the mezzanine ledge, providing system stability and personal protection during operation. When the rear-side gate is raised to allow access to the work area, the ledge-side gate automatically moves to a closed position. All units are self-contained, requiring no additional floor space for operation.
"We selected Mezzanine Safeti-Gates for a couple of different reasons," said Douglas. "Their sales team is reliable and was quick to respond to our questions and product concerns. And, the gates are easy to use, provide maximum safety, and were installed quickly and easily." 

"Cardinal came to us with a problem involving the ranging heights of loads that their employees were handling," said Aaron Conway, vice president, Mezzanine Safeti-Gates. "To meet their needs and provide the safest possible environment, we designed a gate that would allow Cardinal to easily pass tall loads on and off the mezzanines. The selected model, the High Pallet Pivot, solved the problem."

The pivot gate configuration consists of two permanently fixed stanchions anchored to the mezzanine ledge. The gates form a single piece when mounted to the pivot arms. When the rear gate is lifted up, the ledge gate automatically closes. The totally enclosed workstation prevents exposure to the mezzanine ledge during all phases of material delivery and removal from the mezzanine. The gate reduces accidents associated with multi-level material handling operations.

"We insist that our employees work in a very safe environment," Douglas said. "And with the installation of the Safeti-Gates, we have not experienced a loss in production, so we could easily justify the cost of the gates."

According to Douglas, Mezzanine Safeti-Gates's products are specified for all new Cardinal Health distribution centers with mezzanine structures. 

For more information on Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, Inc. and its product line, contact the company at 174 Western Avenue, Essex, Mass., 01929-1110, by telephone at (978) 768-3000, fax at (978) 768-1101, email at [email protected] or on the Web at www.MezzanineSafetyGates.com.

For more information on Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, Inc. and its product line, contact the company at 174 Western Avenue, Essex, Mass., 01929-1110, by telephone at (978) 768-3000, fax at (978) 768-1101, email at [email protected] or on the Web at www.MezzanineSafetyGates.com.

For more information on Cardinal Health, Inc., visit http://www.cardinal.com.