Avoid Incidents and Cut Maintenance Expenses through Impact Protection
Collisions are a frequent occurrence in numerous companies. While some result in minor paint scratches, the worst instances can lead to severe personal injuries. Hence, collisions and impacts should never be underestimated as potential accident causes. Protect yourself against accidents and operational damage using Impact protection and barrier systems. Discover the benefits of collision protection products and essential insights into the pertinent legal requirements.
The Rationality Behind Crash Protection, Collision Safety, and Barriers
Why Crash Protection, Collision Safety, and Barriers Make Sense"
Let's acknowledge the reality: in everyday business activities, there's often significant time pressure, especially in tasks like intra-company transport and loading/unloading. However, this urgency can pose severe risks regarding personal accidents. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), forklift operations result in approximately 95,000 injuries annually, marking a significant portion of intra-company transport accidents involving such equipment. Forklift accidents commonly involve individuals being struck, crushed, or run over. Moreover, even the impact on an unsecured rack can lead to collapses and severe personal injuries. This is where barrier and bumper protection systems are invaluable, offering simple yet highly effective safety measures in daily business operations. They serve crucial functions such as...
- Traffic and work area segregation
- Control of intra-company traffic
- Delineation of traffic routes from other zones (e.g., storage areas)
- Securing storage facilities
- Ensuring clear thoroughfares
- Blocking hazardous zones, construction sites, and temporary obstacles
Prevent Unexpected Downtime and Reduce Repair Expenses.
Barrier and bumper protection systems are critical in personal safety and preventive maintenance, averting machinery and equipment damage. Appropriately chosen bumper or collision protection significantly minimizes downtime and repair expenses. Substituting damaged bumper protection proves more feasible and cost-effective than repairing a production facility.
Guarantee Insurance Protection
Installing collision protection systems can positively influence your insurance coverage or might even be a requirement for it. It's advisable to discuss this with your property insurer. Additionally, legal obligations may exist that mandate adequate collision protection and barriers. Further details on this can be found in the following section.
What laws and guidelines need to be considered?
An essential part of addressing collision protection and barriers involves considering risk assessment. In a business setting, the employer is solely responsible for the tools and equipment used in the workspace. According to OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.132, employers must evaluate the workplace for existing or potential hazards. OSHA regulations demand employers safeguard employees from workplace risks, such as machinery, work procedures, and hazardous substances, to prevent injury.
Employers are required to implement feasible engineering and work practice controls to eliminate or minimize hazards before resorting to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to mitigate risks. If it's possible to modify the machine or work environment to prevent employee exposure to potential threats, engineering controls effectively eliminate the hazard.
For further insights into workplace safety and occupational health, the CCOHS guide offers valuable information.
Insights on Risk Evaluation
Risk assessment is the cornerstone for your decision to install impact protection and barrier systems. Upon identifying pertinent risks for your employees in the evaluation, integrating impact protection and barriers into your action plan is essential. Crucially, proactive measures should be taken before any incidents occur. In the case of damage, it's crucial to showcase to your insurance or employers' liability insurance association that appropriate actions were taken. Conducting the risk assessment and implementing specified occupational safety measures significantly prevents liability issues.
Unique Factors in the Work Environment
Routine workplace safety inspections should be carried out by an individual capable of identifying potential hazards that endanger workers. These hazards may include obstructions in aisles, blind corners, intersections, and the proximity of forklifts to pedestrians. The inspector should have the authority to address and rectify these issues promptly.
Furthermore, it's advisable to position workstations, control panels, and equipment away from aisles whenever possible, avoiding the placement of bins or materials at obstructive corners. Strict adherence to safe driving practices, such as observing speed limits, adhering to signage, and exercising caution at intersections, is essential. Lastly, maintenance efforts should prioritize repairing cracks, deteriorating edges, and defects on loading docks, aisles, and other operational surfaces to uphold a secure working environment.
The following should also be noted:
OSHA requires that permanent aisles and passageways be free from obstructions and appropriately marked where mechanical handling equipment is used (29 CFR 1910.176(a))
The OSHA standard states that unauthorized personnel are prohibited from riding on a forklift. If riders are authorized, a safe place must be provided. (29 CFR 1910.178(m)(3))
The employer shall ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in this paragraph (1910.178(l)(1)(i))
Distinct Labeling Requirements
Red and yellow are significant colour variants for barriers and impact protection systems, each designated for specific purposes.
As per OSHA regulations under standard 1910.144(a)(1), red holds significance in identifying certain safety elements. It is the primary colour for marking fire protection equipment, apparatus, and danger-related elements. Safety cans or portable containers for flammable liquids with a flash point at or below 80 °F, emergency stop bars, and buttons on specific hazardous machines must be painted red. Barricade lights and danger signs should also feature red colouring.
Conversely, yellow serves as a cautionary colour, used to mark physical hazards associated with actions such as striking against, stumbling, falling, tripping, or being "caught in between." Adhering to these colour codes is essential for upholding a safe work environment in compliance with OSHA standards.
Related Content
The specialist information on this page has been compiled carefully and to the best of our knowledge and belief. Nevertheless, DENIOS Ltd cannot assume any warranty or liability of any kind, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, for the topicality, completeness and correctness either towards the reader or towards third parties. The use of the information and content for your own or third party purposes is therefore at your own risk. In any case, please observe the locally and currently applicable legislation.
- View your order history
- Save shopping list and basket
- Save preferred payment method for future orders
Give us a call or fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.