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Make no secret of it – you can never have too much protection within your warehouse. Here at Boplan, we’re always thriving to make businesses as safe as possible and with our vast catalogue of safety implements, you could be making strides in achieving just that.

There are many ways you can improve your business’ safety. Clear fire exits, a high standard of housekeeping, up to date Health and Safety policies and assembly points in the event of a fire – the list goes on. There is, however, one way you can drastically improve the safety of your warehouse interior without worrying about ongoing costs.

Safety Barriers – What Can They Prevent?

Installation of FLEX IMPACT safety barriers from Boplan can help prevent a number of atrocities. First and foremost, no longer will your vehicle fleet take the brunt of the damage in the event of a collision. If you have any safety barriers made from steel, they will bend or tear and disperse the shock back towards the source of the collision, in most scenarios this would mean the vehicle and the vehicle driver. And, consequently steel safety barriers will become to weak to stop the next impact.

It will also lead to both vehicle and floor damage due to the way the safety barrier is installed. The last thing your warehouse needs is disruption whilst the barrier, the vehicle and the floor are replaced – at a significant cost. With a Boplan safety barrier, rest assured that any shock generated from a collision will be dispersed amongst its own body, whilst retaining the original shape and appearance afterwards.

Our flexible safety barriers also reduce the level of pedestrian related accidents. They act as a warning towards pedestrian workers to be aware of any vehicles within the vicinity of the safety barriers, making it easier for them to avoid contact with vehicles.

Safety is No Laughing Matter

As mentioned at the beginning, there’s no such thing as over-protection in the warehouse. Accidents can occur from nothing but with the help of our safety barriers, you can radically reduce the likelihood them occurring. Warehouses are dangerous places if they are not maintained in a safe and legal manner – don’t take the risk.

What makes a happy, enjoyable working environment? Is it a positive attitude? Staff morale? Or maybe the knowledge that everyone within that environment is safe to work there? Boplan wants to ensure that you’re able to keep your workers safe and happy, all whilst keeping your factory compliant with safety regulations. Read on to see how this can be achieved!

The Stats Don’t Lie

In 2009/2010, over 8,500 work related accidents in warehouses and road haulage industries were reported to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and local authorities. Out of those 8,500 reports, almost 1600 were categorised in the “major injuries” area.

Granted, this report is nearly seven years old and although the regulations have improved significantly, it is still a haunting statistic. That’s why we at Boplan want to make sure that your business is operating within the laws of safety regulations – especially when it comes to protecting your pedestrian workers.

Introducing the FLEX IMPACT®

To give you a helping hand in maintaining an outstanding level of protection, we give you the FLEX IMPACT safety barrier. Constructed from recyclable and sustainable plastic, this barrier offers you an adaptable level of protection suitable for various different industry purposes. Moulded in polypropylene, the FLEX IMPACT is corrosion and chemical resistant.

Its main purpose is to absorb the shock of an impact, therefore minimising the harm and damage inflicted upon an industrial vehicle and the driver behind the wheel. What makes this possible is the polymer material enveloping the impact and distributing it amongst its own body, rather than the vehicle absorbing the shock itself.

What This Means for You

We understand that different businesses require alternate levels of safety, although the basic foundations of safety in the workplace should be the same across the board. For that reason alone, we have a diverse choice of safety barriers available to you to choose from. It is important, however, that you choose a barrier that best fits the purpose you are installing it for. For example, if your vehicle fleet is of a heavier make and model, then a lightweight barrier will not serve the purpose you want it to.

It has to be said though that the majority of our safety barriers are adaptable and interchangeable. This means you will always be one step ahead in keeping your factory compliant and constantly adhering to your promise of protection towards your workers. After all, a safe employee is a productive employee.

What is My Responsibility?

As a business owner, you should always be aware of what is happening within your company and more importantly, if there are any potential hazards to avoid. You can do this simply by walking around your workplace and identifying any potential hazard zones.

Once you have completed this, you can now think about what implications you’re going to put in to make sure the risk of harm is as low as is physically possible. If your business has any vehicle fleets operating within the same zone as pedestrian workers, that’s where a FLEX IMPACT safety barrier may come of good use to you.

Remember, the worker’s responsibility is to be knowledgeable of the company’s Health and Safety Policy – it is your responsibility to make sure it is as clear for them to understand. It is also paramount that the measures installed ensure the lowest level of risk for your workers.

Like to Know More?

If you were to look at your business, you may already have some safety measures implemented to ensure your workforce is well shielded from your vehicle fleet and other potential hazard zones. However, if you were to take a look at your racking – is that as adequately protected? If not, you could be looking at an economic crisis, where you could be kissing goodbye to thousands of pounds.

It is vital that your racking is as well protected. This is for two reasons – the main one being that racking that isn’t protected adequately is a danger to the workforce. In the unfortunate event of a collision with the racking, segments can become disjointed and could fall on pedestrian workers below.

The other reason for racking protection is to avoid the scenario in the first reason – with racking protection the vehicle collides with the barrier and absorbs the shock, before dissipating it amongst itself. No harm is caused towards your racking, the vehicle or the operator. This also means no damage occurs to your floor, which in itself is a financial life-saver!

Consider the FLEX IMPACT®

Collisions with racking and fleet vehicles are amongst the most common of warehouse accidents. The pressure that warehouse operatives are under to meet certain targets means quick manoeuvres in tight spaces and, under said pressure, can lead to these kinds of circumstances. Although the scenario is self-explanatory and somewhat limited, the consequences can be endless. Consider the domino effect, if you would. Once one rack collides with another, one by one, the end result financially could be crippling. However, you could avoid this with the installation of some FLEX IMPACT rack protectors.

With this energy-absorbing innovation, your racking will remain intact – as well as the barrier! Upon impact, the shape and appearance of the barrier returns to its original shape – like a memory foam mattress, only much more resilient. The added benefit to the FLEX IMPACT is you can relocate, adjust, adapt and build with ease; meaning there’s no such thing as over-protection! This can lead to a significant decrease in racking damage and post-collision human injuries, too.

A Choice to Suit All

There are three racking protection products within the FLEX IMPACT family. Starting with the Re Rack End, there will be no re-racking for you as the durability of this product means that even after a crash, the appearance and purpose remain intact! The perfect tool that adds that extra layer of crucial racking protection.

If you’re in need of a sturdier level of protection there is the Re Rack End with Support. A more fortified model of the existing Re Rack End, the inclusion of a sturdy mid-post means extra protection and even more durability, whilst still maintaining the appearance and purpose post-collision.

For a universal level of protection, we have the Re RackBull®. No longer will you have to search high and wide for racking protection to fit, or even go as far as ordering bespoke protectors. Our diverse, universal racking protectors are guaranteed to fit any size and shape, meaning that no-one is at risk in the event of a crash – and your racking doesn’t suffer the consequences, either!

Let’s Chat!

If you’re interested in giving your warehouse a protective makeover then we are more than happy to listen to your enquiries. We always jump at the opportunity to show businesses how our externally tried and tested safety barriers could save you thousands in potential repairs!

Repairing Damaged Warehouse Safety Barriers

If you look around your warehouse and allow your eyes to be drawn to your safety barriers, are you greeted with the best in ultra-modern and durable technology or do you see tired, 20th century concrete and steel?

Traditional or retro safety barriers, such as steel barriers, require regular maintenance. To ensure that they are seen from vehicle operators it is imperative that they are regularly cared for and maintained. This means they must be cleaned and painted accordingly to ensure maximum visibility.

Traditional safety barriers are solely designed with the purpose of protecting whatever it is they surround, be that machinery such as a conveyor, a pillar supporting the structural integrity of a building, a walkway for pedestrian workers or simply the surrounding walls of the warehouse.

What Occurs When a Vehicle Collides with a Steel Barrier?

When a vehicle collides with a traditional safety barrier, the vehicle takes the brunt of the impact. This puts the health and safety of the employee operating the vehicle at risk and in high impact situations, resulting in the vehicle being severely damaged. The safety barrier will be weakened and require a replacement or a thorough repair.

Floor space in which the barrier was installed will also need to be appropriately mended. The bolts fixing the barrier into place will be forced out of the ground or bent into an unsafe shape resulting in cracks and chips in the concrete foundation. Repairing the floor takes time, is costly and means that area of the warehouse is off limits which may cause manoeuvring or task issues.

Why FLEX IMPACT® Products Are Superior

Our FLEX IMPACT® safety barriers are the most durable available. Our industry leading products are now used all over the world by some of the world’s biggest brands. Our safety barriers require little maintenance, the highly flexible polypropylene material retains visibility over time due to being coloured yellow right throughout, from the external surface area to the very core of the product.

If an impact does occur, our flexible safety barriers aren’t designed to solely protect properties or pedestrian workers within the barricade. The vehicle operator and floor will also be sufficiently protected. No bolts will be forced from the ground due to the amazing ability of FLEX IMPACT®, which absorbs impact and dissipates the force throughout the entire barrier rather than deflect it.

Unbeatable Protection

The protection available with our safety barriers with all people, structures, objects and machinery involved in the accident accounted for is a stark contrast from what is exhibited with traditional barriers. Our safety barriers absorb the shock of the impact as it is disbanded throughout the body of the barrier. Traditional barriers act as a force against a force, the result is a damaged safety barrier, floor, vehicle and potential harm to your employees.

Enquire Today for Your Safety

Why not enquire today and find out how we can upgrade your tired, old safety barrier network to one of our modern, sustainable systems? Our Flex Impact safety barriers are as strong as their steel counterparts with superior protection and a lot less hassle. Our product range is extremely adaptable compared to steel alternatives too. You can select a mix of protective barrier products and combine them into a single blockade to protect your workforce, building and the various expensive assets which keep operations running smoothly.

Top 5 tips for safety barrier design in your warehouse

At Boplan, we love to see warehouses implementing appropriate measures in order to develop a safe working environment for their employees. We believe safety is key to creating an atmosphere people want to be a part of. When employees feel cared for and appreciated, loyalty and productivity rates increase and employees often become proud ambassadors of your company.

By introducing modern safety measures to your warehouse, your business can significantly reduce the risk of errors and accidental harm to your employees. You can help minimise the chance of accidents and errors by implementing safety procedures such as:

Adequate industry training

Protective work wear and equipment

Standards for handling and racking

Designated routes and walkways

High-performance Safety Barrier Systems

Independent Testing Procedures

You can be confident our products are as good as we say they are. We believe in external testing without any in-house influence, so we liaison with the trusted Transpolis Laboratory to independently crash test our products, analyse the data and conclude the results. Transpolis Lab’s sole purpose is to improve innovation in the transport and road sector. The research is led by Doctor Edmondo di Pasquale of Princeton University, who has over 25 years’ experience in the industry and has worked with the likes of Renault and Ferrari.

FLEX IMPACT® SAFETY BARRIERS

The FLEX IMPACT® range includes a variety of safety barrier products fit for any warehouse requirements. The different sizes, strength capabilities and unique purposes available allows business owners to purchase or lease a handpicked bespoke product. The materials are anti-corrosive, chemical resistant, easy to transport and require little maintenance.

The ultra-durable polypropylene material used to create the FLEX IMPACT® safety barrier range reduces the power of a collision by absorbing and isolating the impact of the crash. The impact is captivated within the safety barrier, lessening the damage to the driver, vehicle and floor.

Integrating this flexible and versatile solution to your warehouse will bring your business up to speed with modern day safety standards. It will also ensure the continued peaceful operations of your business with minimal disruptions.

Determining the Suitability for your Warehouse

The aforementioned benefits of FLEX IMPACT® products can be applied to a plethora of industries, from food storage and manufacturing to retail products and wholesale. This adaptable product can be added to sites which are small, medium, large or colossally sized and it is suitable for all warehouse environments. The first and most obvious tip for any business owner considering adding a safety barrier to their warehouse is to answer - what are my needs?

Calculating which areas of your warehouse you would describe as being ‘risk’ or ‘sensitive’ points will assist us when determining your protective needs. Areas containing things like fridges or pedestrian walkways, shelves holding fragile items or surfaces with expensive machinery which your business depends on, need to and should be appropriately protected. Consider what kind of industrial vehicles will be regularly present in your workforce, how much traffic there will be and the route they will be taking. If you have a forklift using the same corridor as your delicate products or valuable machines, you can consider this an area which needs protection.

It’s Not Worth the Risk

Imagine the devastating effect a collision involving a heavy-duty forklift and a conveyor belt could have on your businesses operations. By outlining key areas, you feel are at risk of collision from industrial vehicles, you can pre-emptively stop accidents from occurring. There really isn’t anything more important than the wellbeing of your workforce and the welfare of your machinery. So why take the risk?

It’s Better to be Overprotected

You may or may not consider the floor of your warehouse to be an extremely important asset but if it is damaged, it can cause serious complications to your business. How can your floor be easily damaged you may be thinking? When steel barriers are hit with force, the impact is pushed down to the baseplates which fix the barriers into the ground. Bolts are twisted and unearthed, cracking concrete and creating havoc for your commercial operations as vehicle and pedestrian routes will be temporarily unsafe and unusable. Mortar mix restorations combined with a self-levelling compound will need to be actioned. Our FLEX IMPACT® barriers absorb the impact of the collision and disperse the power across the body of the barrier rather than direct it to the baseplates.

Before choosing a state of the art safety barrier capable of adequately protecting your warehouse’s current needs, it is important to consider what lies ahead in the near future. The movement of vehicles in your warehouse might seem one dimensional or straight forward now, but it is important to prepare for the future and to ensure adequate safety measures are put into place now to save on costs later.

Completely Modular and Adaptive

Unlike traditional steel barriers, our products are completely modular. This makes for an adaptable product range, allowing you to be thoroughly selective when choosing your protective barrier options. You can combine various FLEX IMPACT® barriers to create a tailored barricade, within one line-up. At any time, they can be upgraded, adapted, increased and transported to different places on your site as your business evolves. If you anticipate an expansion soon, or a different or more diverse working environment could be a possibility, then you should prepare accordingly. This can be achieved in a number of ways:

Identify the areas where more fragile products could be held.

Choose a safety barrier strong enough to counter the impact from a heavy vehicle you believe could be with you soon.

Recognise zones in your warehouse which could become populated with lots of pedestrian workers walking past and through.

By choosing to initially prepare for the future, it shows you are determined to expand and devoted to growth.

How to Choose Suitable Products

Once you have identified ‘risk’ points or regions you want to give optimum protection to, you need to decide on a safety barrier which is right for you. Some areas may require a stronger more resilient option, whilst areas containing things of smaller monetary worth or less pedestrian activity may require a lighter, more affordable safety barrier. This is one of the many great reasons why the team at Boplan are industry leaders, they appreciate that every business is different and requires safety measures which are unique to their needs. By providing ample choices, Boplan have created a distinctive product catalogue of damage preventive safety barriers like no other.

As previously stated, the FLEX IMPACT® range contains a vast catalogue of modern, high-performance products. Beginning with the TB Mini, the lightest and smallest safety barrier on offer, right up to the TB Triple Super, providing a robust defence, with protection from large vehicles and high-impact collisions in mind. The TB Double looks just like a typical guardrail but is capable of safeguarding your workers, even from the heaviest of industrious vehicles. Whereas the TB 200 is a unique wheel stopper, mounted low to the ground and used as a separation zone for vehicles.

When browsing the product catalogue, you will notice just how extensive the range of FLEX IMPACT® safety barriers is. The all-encompassing product availability allows you to rest assured knowing you have the right amount of protection. Some of the most well-known household names use our products and in return receive sufficient protection for their workers, pallet racks, conveyors, and products.

Deciding on an Appropriate Layout

With proper preparation, you can create an optimized work space for you and your colleagues to enjoy and be proud of. By now you should have an idea of which sections of your warehouse you think require safety barriers. Don’t worry if not, we will guide you all the way. Next, you should be looking to determine how the safety barriers can be installed onto the premises without creating an obstruction for your vehicles or workforce.

It is imperative that you are aware of the spaces your vehicles use up to manoeuvre, and the routes they will regularly take, so that no potential issues in the layout of the safety barrier system are overlooked. With thoughtful planning and consideration, we can help you predetermine new routes and adapt old ones for your vehicle fleet. To ensure pedestrian workers can get to where you need them to be efficiently and safely, integrating crossing points to your layout allows for movement of workers freely and securely around the warehouse.

Include Convenient Crossing Points

Most company warehouses will attempt to avoid having vehicles and pedestrians sharing the same workspaces in order to minimise the risk of accidents. However, in reality, it is sometimes unavoidable. In the instances when it is necessary for vehicles and workers to cross paths, to help create a safe working environment, designated crossing points for workers should be made apparent and be clearly visible to both pedestrian workers and vehicle operators.

These crossing points should be well lit and employees should be informed and instructed to solely use these specific tracks when moving around the warehouse. Crossing points should be kept to a minimum when possible so that vehicles are able to move as freely as possible throughout the warehouse and easily recovered or moved when a breakdown occurs.

There You Have it!

Boplan are quality manufacturers of safety materials and flexible guardrails for ultra-demanding environments. The company’s products are available to either purchase or lease and have already secured the support of global brands such as Ikea and Coca-Cola. At Boplan, the team truly believe they are changing the world with their lifesaving and warehouse safety products.

Boplan aren’t finished just yet either, as they are consistently growing and evolving in order to remain industry leaders and ahead of the pack. This ensures the products and service you receive are the most innovative and the best performing solution available on the market today.

The UK headquarters for Boplan is based in the lovely city of Wolverhampton. If you would like some more information on their products and services, you can contact them directly on 01902 824280 or visit their contact page to send a direct message. The company has a number of representatives worldwide, so it may be worth looking on their site to find your best option.

Amazing airport safety barriers

For councillors and private airport owners, security and safety are a central focus to ensure the likelihood of continuous travel, without disruption. With the congested nature of airports, accidents involving vehicles unfortunately do occur. Here at Boplan, we have a vast range of modern airport safety barrier products for you to choose from. Helping to protect your dedicated workforce as well as the dollies, chocks, refuelling vehicles, buses, aeroplanes and other vehicles in your fleet.

What is FLEX IMPACT®?

Our airport safety barrier options are part of our FLEX IMPACT® range, a revolutionary product innovatively moulded in polypropylene. This fully recyclable and sustainable plastic is extremely adaptable and is used for a range of products across numerous different industries. Polypropylene is also resistant to chemicals and is an anti-corrosive material.

Our state-of-the-art products are far more superior than the traditional available options. Our flexible and durable safety barriers can reduce the power of a collision and absorb the shock of an impact, captivating and minimising the damage inflicted upon the operator and vehicle. This is due to the versatile polymer material engulfing the impact and dispersing the shockwaves of the collision across it’s body. As opposed to countering the force of the impact as it hits the surface of a barrier.

Impact on Impact

Consider the impact you would feel if you hit a hammer against a block of steel. The shockwaves conducted by the force of your arm and the weight of the hammer hitting the steel block would be slightly absorbed by the steel block and then transmitted back to you via your fingertips, hand, wrist, elbow and arm.

Now, imagine the impact you would feel if you used the same hammer against a rubber block. The rubber would absorb the majority of the impact. The sensation or pain you would feel would be much less than before, when you were hitting a block of steel. Our airport safety barrier products work in a similar way.

Looking After Your Foundations

When collisions against steel barriers occur, the impact is concentrated into the barrier baseplates. This causes costly damage to the foundations of the barrier. Bolts holding the barrier into place are contorted or ejected and the concrete floor is cracked in the process. This can have a considerably negative effect on operations, as sections and routes are closed off whilst time-consuming repairs, like a resin mortar solution, are applied. The shock-absorbing ability of our barriers prevents this from happening, avoiding any damage to the floor.

Options Available to You

The FLEX IMPACT® airport safety barrier catalogue holds a diverse array of products fit for any airport needs. At Boplan, we understand that across the world, airports greatly differ in sizes and traffic. For that reason, we have 14 different safety barrier products for you to choose from with different capabilities. Our products range in capabilities but our higher specification flexible safety barriers such as the TB Double and above, finalising at the TB Triple Super, are fortified to offer maximum protection. Purposely designed for shielding against high impact collisions.

All of our products are versatile and entirely modular, offering protection to structures, pedestrian workers, expensive machinery and vehicles. Our barriers can be upgraded or moved relatively easily. We offer you the option to create a bespoke airport safety barrier system, combining and intermixing different barrier types in a single line-up. This is not a common feature in steel barrier systems.

Tested to Stringent Standards

Our products including flexible safety barriers are independently and externally tested by the Transpolis Laboratory, a European lab devoted to road equipment and innovative transportation systems. The research is being led by Princeton Universities, Dr. Edmondo Di Pasquale, who over 25 years has dedicated his career to improving research and innovation activities for his company’s customers. This means we do not conduct our own crash tests and cannot influence the independent results in any way.

Like to Know More?

If you would like to know more or are interested in purchasing or leasing any of our safety products, the friendly Boplan team are waiting to take your calls. If you would like to contact us outside of our operating hours, simply send us an email and someone will get back to you shortly.

Safety Barriers in the Food Industry

Food; everybody needs it so it makes sense that food production, food storage and food distribution is a vast industry. Within that industry, there is a need to ensure that goods, people and infrastructure are safe.

Boplan can help. Our safety solutions are in place in food companies across the globe and there’s a good reason why. Not only are our products some of the most innovative and effective on the market but we can also provide fully customised solutions.

Our work with Crop’s

As an example of our flexible safety solutions, we want to tell you about our work with Crop’s.

Crop’s produce freshly frozen fruit, vegetables and ready meals. They needed our help protecting multiple areas at their headquarters in Belgium.

One area that needed protecting was the pallet conveyor handling system in the freezing area of the warehouse. They needed to stop the system being damaged by forklifts and other warehouse traffic.

Our TB Triple Super and TB Double safety barriers were perfect for the protection of the pallet conveyors and our Bo Super Bollards provided extra protection for the edges of protection lines. We combined TB Plus barriers with SG swing gates for walkways and pedestrian crossings.

To avoid pallets being placed on the border of loading docks our TB 200 flexible safety barriers were ideal. Finally, we protected the mezzanine support beams with our KP150 Column Protectors.

Crop’s were delighted with the solutions we were able to put in place. In fact, the safety manager told us; “your products are fantastic! I’ve become a convinced ambassador of the Flex Impact safety barrier system.”

It’s not just Crop’s that have benefited from our great products. Other clients include Coca-Cola, McCain, Delhaize, Mars and many, many more.

What makes our barriers so good?

The reason that so many food manufacturers have been impressed with our products is the amazing amount of benefits they provide.

Our food manufacturing safety barriers are made from a strong polymer that is equal in strength to steel. Plastic safety barriers can withstand cold environments much better than their metal counterparts. Steel oxidises; plastic doesn’t.

To maintain visibility, metal barriers need to be regularly repainted. Our flexible safety barriers are coloured yellow to the core so they never need repainting and require very little in the way of maintenance.

The design of our barriers means they absorb shock. This substantially reduces damage to vehicles and injury to drivers, whilst still providing protection to the infrastructure.

The modular design makes them easy to install. They can be fitted exactly where needed and combined with our other safety solutions.

Want to know more?

We not only provide and install safety products; we can also design full safety solutions tailored to the needs of your business. With our expert zone planning and innovative solutions, we can provide the protection you need exactly where you need it.