Enhancing Doorway Safety: Pedestrian Exclusion Zones
Hello there, Blake here from Tekta, and today we’re talking about automatic roller doors and workplace safety. In particular we’ll be discussing an important safety feature known as – Pedestrian Exclusion Zones.
If you operate a busy factory or warehouse, you will be very aware of the importance of keeping people and vehicles separate when they’re operating in the same areas.
One scenario that presents a serious risk is fork-lift trucks (or other MHEs) driving through automatic high-speed roller doors. As the forklift approaches, the door opens automatically so the forklift can pass through. However, while the door is in the process of opening, it creates a significant blind spot, making it difficult for the driver to see what (or who) is on the opposite side of the door. If there does happen to be a person on the opposite side of that doorway, there is a serious risk of collision and injury.
It’s worth noting at this point that forklift trucks should remain stationary until the door is fully opened. However, in a busy factory environment, it can be difficult to monitor and enforce this rule.
So! What’s the solution?
Pedestrian Exclusion Zones are designated areas, marked on the floor around industrial doors, that are off-limits to pedestrians. The exclusion zone should be slightly more than the width of the door by 3 – 4 meters deep on both sides of the doorway. This creates a safety buffer that gives forklift drivers more time to spot any hazards and react accordingly, reducing the risk of accidents.
Pedestrian exclusion zones by themselves are not a complete solution and should be used in conjunction with other safety measure and rules, but the beauty of them is their simplicity. They’re easy and cheap to implement with simple floor markings and can make a big difference in preventing workplace accidents.
So, there you go, a simple and effective solution for preventing H&S incidences around doorways in your factory.
If you need help with doorway solutions, doorway safety or design layouts, get in touch with the Tekta team today – We’re here to help.
With thanks to Denis Treacy of Culture Compass for sharing insight and advice from his experience as Global President of Safety, Quality, Security, Environment for Pladis Global (a $5bn Snack food business) and Group Executive Head of Health & Safety for Yildiz Holdings (a $12bn conglomerate)