Berry Systems ensures safety for staff at Co-op

Berry Systems has been appointed to provide safety protection products for a Co-op distribution centre, including heavy duty steel balustrades along walkways.

The Co-op Composite Distribution Centre in County Durham supplies a vast range of products from the 3,500 lines stocked, to 262 Co-operative stores in the North and North East of England.

With a couple of hundred vehicle movements each day, safety is paramount and the Co-op was keen to ensure that all areas were properly protected, to avoid any injuries to staff by fork lift trucks, pallet movers and other equipment.

Walkways were separated where possible by heavy duty steel balustrades, internally and externally.

Plant and equipment was also protected by the siting of bollards, fork lift truck wheel guides, racking protectors and column protectors.

Height restrictors were fitted on internal doorways and vulnerable areas were further protected by double barriers specifically designed to prevent the incursion of forks at low levels.

Outside in the HGV area perimeter barriers were supplemented by speed ramps and wheel stops.

Berry Systems was appointed to supply and install the safety barriers including the company's own spring steel buffers, designed and tested to absorb impacts from cars, HGVs and fork lift trucks while retaining integrity.

These were used on the double barriers for forklift protection, the HGV perimeter barriers and the ramps where pedestrian handrails were also fitted.

Smaller versions were used on the column protectors.

The balustrading, rack end protectors, fork lift wheel guides, bollards and height restrictors where painted in yellow for added visibility and consistent awareness.

Various safety barriers and balustrading was installed plus three swinging interior gateways custom designed to the requirements of this installation.

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