How can we increase safety in warehouses and distribution centers?

New technology to prevent accidents

The number of accidents in warehouses and distribution centers is only increasing in recent years, according to reports from the Labor Inspectorate. 1,500 serious incidents occur annually, most of them involving a forklift. Half of these involve collisions with pedestrians. Apart from the human suffering, a warehouse accident costs an average of 35,000 euros, not counting the loss of turnover due to sick leave. We asked Bas Kruysdijk, sales director at A-SAFE, how to reverse this trend. And how the unique rack monitor can make a major contribution to this.

In 2015, Kruysdijk and Rob de Greef started the Dutch branch of UK-based A-SAFE, a company specializing in plastic collision protection. These provide pedestrian and passage protection, but also secure items such as machinery, racking, walls and columns. Products used by major companies such as Coca-Cola, DHL, Nestle, Ahold and Nutricia.

Underestimating risk

Kruysdijk: "I think people underestimate the risks. A forklift drives 10 to 15 kilometers per hour, so how bad can a collision be? In practice, this can lead to serious injuries and unfortunately I have experienced this at close quarters on several occasions. A few years ago I spoke to a logistics employee who told me that they had been doing fine for thirty years. In other words, there was no need to change anything in terms of extra protection. This man has now lost his lower leg with all the consequences. The impact of and likelihood of such accidents are often misunderstood." 

Underestimating material

According to Kruysdijk, there is another factor at play: "When we started in the Netherlands, we were the only active provider of plastic crash protection. At that time, our competitors were still mainly working with steel. There are now several producers of plastic crash protection, but it's not all gold that shines, there is a lot of chaff among the wheat. Our plastic is of such quality that in the event of a collision no damage occurs and the situation remains safe. Consumers assume that all plastic crash protection works like A-SAFE's, but they are disappointed. To ensure that the crash protection does what it is supposed to do, it is independently tested and certified by TÜV Nord in accordance with the guidelines of PAS 13."

Science and patents

Indeed, anyone who takes a look at A-SAFE's website will see that an awful lot of scientific research underlies their products. "We use only our proprietary three-layer Memaplex™ plastic, developed by polymer scientists," he says. The patented coupling technology is also completely unique. "Usually the coupling is a weak point in guardrails and fencing, but our advanced coupling actually improves impact strength."

Latest innovation

RackEye™ is the latest innovation from A-SAFE. In it, sensors detect collisions on racking 24/7 and alert automatically. The real-time data provide insights that can be used to track damage trends and take preventive measures, such as better warehouse layout or staff training. "Collisions are not always reported, especially during night shifts. The danger is cumulative damage. If you hit a upright once, there may not be much of a problem. If it happens more often it does weaken. While there is no visible damage the whole thing can collapse just like that. "

Alarmed by the rising number of accidents, the labor inspectorate is zooming in more on worker safety. "Too many companies focus only on physical shielding, but a fence must also provide demonstrable safe shielding. After a visit from the labor inspectorate, our expertise is regularly requested to make a workplace safer. So with our wide extensively tested product range, we can truly guarantee this safety.