Mezzanines in the workplace present a severe risk to employees. Though these platforms are useful and often necessary for storage and or additional workspace, the creation of additional fall hazards must not be overlooked (Falls from height are one of the most common accidents at work).
If you ever need to access an elevated platform, and that platform is more than 500 mm high, then that perimeter must be protected with some form of fall protection like a guardrail. However, inevitably a section in the fall protection must be removed or open to the edge for forklift access for loading pallets or loads. This is where a safety pallet gate is imperative in protecting that area.
There are many different types of pallet gates, and it can be confusing choosing the right one for your facility or specific application. The last thing you want is to purchase something designed to protect workers from a fall only to find that it doesn’t physically fit or function within your workspace. Giving someone a false sense of security or simply not being aware of the dangers will be costly. Here are some questions to consider when choosing the best pallet gate for you.
1. What type of platform or opening is being used?
The pallet gate is being used to protect the opening where items are moving either on or off an elevated platform or maybe a wall opening. It is crucial to know details of the location. Some will only ever need to be loaded through a gap in a guardrail from the floor below, while others may be onto a balcony or through an opening or doorway. The pallet gate design needs to be safe but may also need to be adaptable for specific criteria. Be sure to read up on the product literature to confirm it will fit the bill.
2. How Much Space Do You Have For Mounting?
Mezzanines and platforms come in all shapes and sizes. Often space can be extremely limited. Knowing your limitations in space will help narrow down your options. You want to ensure you have the room to mount the gate on the floor. If you lack room there, a space-saving or low headroom gate will be needed? Gates usually connect directly to the existing floor, while others can be connected through walls on either side of an opening. Is the pallet unloaded in-situ or moved to another area? Is there adequate space to manoeuvre? Different designs of gate can be customised to fit most situations.
3. What Size Pallet/Materials Are You Loading?
Standard pallets are approximately 1200 mm x 1000 mm, Most pallet gates should easily accommodate these. However, it is important to also know the largest size pallet that may be used as they can vary greatly in different industries, as can the materials on the pallet. You will need to calculate typical height of materials plus the height of the pallet. If your materials are hanging off the ends off the pallet, calculate this as well. You should include enough clearance for the pallet to be landed safely through the gate opening width, around 200 to 300 mm is recommended.
4. Does the gate meet safety requirements?
Once you have answered the questions above and selected a pallet gate that seems to fit all your criteria, there is one last question that must be addressed; Is the gate an HSE approved type and does it meet the latest ISO 14122-3:2016 standard?
Pallet gates are a form of fall protection. Meaning it is your responsibility to have your employees properly trained on how to use it, to make sure they have a copy of the operating instructions provided with the gate as well as creating administrative controls to reduce the possibility of error. No one should be close to the open edge of a platform without some form of fall protection in place.
When that gate is open, have you created that hazard? Sliding, swing out or lift out edge gates are not inherently safe, as they can often be left open. The approved design must guard the edge whether open or closed. A double or dual gate system that encloses the loading area must be used. A foldable gate design can solve this problem when space is tight.
There are several ways to help you to address these issues, to keep you and your colleagues safe and within Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance and ISO standards compliance.
Go to our Pallet gate frequently asked questions blog page.
Download our free questionnaire; How do I specify a custom pallet gate?
See our Pallet gate case study pages (Including HSE) as others may have had your same issues too.
Or we have a team of trained Safety Gate Experts on staff ready to help walk you through it if needed. Call 0161 223 1990 or email mezzbarriers@dale-lifting.co.uk to arrange a free consultation and no-obligation quotation.