Skip to main content
loading dock safety gate for lifts

Fall Protection Equipment Priorities for New Facilities

New facilities can be exciting to set up as they are often outfitted with updated equipment, technology and the latest innovations. While you are planning the facility or starting to move in, employee safety must be considered in every area. In fact, safety equipment should be considered for each area and application, so employees will be safe from day one. The most up to date machine guarding, netting, mesh partitions or cages and safety gates all should be considered and made part of the plan for equipment in the new facility.

While there are many places that will need safety equipment, fall protection systems are needed for any elevated work platform; OSHA mandates fall protection systems at four feet, while ANSI standards suggest protection at three feet. Multiple elevated work platforms will likely be present in your facility, and even more if pick modules are used in material handing.

If you focus on fall protection, there are two key areas that must provide protection for employees: loading docks and dock-lifts used to move material, and any elevated ledges around pallet drop areas, including pick modules or pallet flow lanes.

Loading Docks and Dock Lifts
Let’s start outside the facility. Loading docks are often the busiest place in a facility, and they pose a number of safety hazards that put employees at risk for falls. The operation at a loading dock traditionally consists of a tractor trailer backing up to an elevated section of the building so material can be loaded/unloaded from the trailer. When the trailer is in place the elevated area remains safe, but once the trailer drives away there is an exposed ledge at the end of the elevated loading dock. Because this ledge is elevated it needs to be secured.



The best solution is a single-gate system that the employee on the loading dock is able to raise and lock open only when the tractor trailer is in place. Ideally, the gate automatically closes once the truck drives away from the area. This allows the operator to control when they want to open the gate, and makes sure the ledges remains secure when there is no truck in position without relying on someone to close the gate. 



Dock-lifts used to move material in the loading dock area also provide risks for falls when employees ride them with material. Dock-lifts can be used by employees to move material at ground level, between the trucks and loading docks. Safety gates for these lifts should feature automatically closing gates, which ensures fall protection for any worker on the lift. As the lift elevates, the gates automatically close and lock into place. The gates stay closed and locked until the lift goes back to ground level, providing fall protection while the lift is raised and material is moved from the lift, truck and dock. They can be made in multiple configurations, depending on the operations of your dock.

Elevated Pallet Drop Ledges
Moving inside, most material handling or production facilities feature multiple elevated pallet drop areas - they can be used for the same or different applications. These areas may be on mezzanines, near doorways or on production platforms.

OSHA fall protection standards mandate that a properly constructed barrier be in place except when employees are actively accessing material. ANSI standards mandate a fall protection barrier is in place at all times during the operation, even while pallets are being loaded, staged or worked on. The best method for providing fall protection on elevated pallet drop ledges is a dual-gate system that keeps one gate closed at all times. These safety systems include various designs; each has a gate at the ledge that is connected to a second gate behind the pallet and configured so when one gate is open the opposite gate is closed. Fixed stanchions on the side create a controlled-access area. These systems can be manually operated or with remotely controlled power for remote access by the lift truck operator or automated vehicle.

Often elevated work platforms and pallet drop areas are located in pick modules - the multi-level systems used for inventory and order fulfillment. By design, these systems place pallets of material on elevated levels, and employees picking product to fill orders. One of the main safety requirements is creating a fall protection barrier while employees on these elevated levels are picking items off of the pallets or stacking empty pallets to be removed. Dual-gate systems work very well in pick modules, especially when offered in a rack-supported design, which can save space by using the rack uprights to support the safety gate.



Pick modules often feature pallet flow applications. While employees are not to walk on the lanes, it happens. Employees do walk into lanes, which poses risk for falls from the upper levels and injuries if pallet loads being pushed into the legs of employees. To secure the flow lanes, self-closing gates designed for flow systems and dual-gate safety systems can create a safe environment. 



One additional point to remember about pallet drop safety is that new facilities are going to include the latest automation, and dual-gate safety systems can be equipped with power and sensors that make fall protection a part of the automated process.

If you have questions about safety equipment needs in your new facility, contact us - we can help.