Screens answer safety concerns

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 9, 2006

Industrial safety specialist Troax UK has solved important health and safety issues for Direct Wines following the installation of extensive runs of anti-collapse pallet rack safety screens.

Industrial safety specialist Troax UK has solved important health and safety issues for Direct Wines, the world's largest independent, home delivery wine merchant, following the installation of extensive runs of anti-collapse pallet rack safety screens to protect staff working at the company's wine warehouse in Theale, Berkshire.

Over 40 million bottles of wine are delivered from the warehouse each year to customers of Direct Wines, whose trading identities include Laithwaites, the Sunday Times Wine Club, Barclaycard Wine Service and the NatWest Wine Club.

There had been health and safety concerns at the warehouse, identified by a risk assessment that cases of wine may become dislodged from pallet racking during loading and unloading with a risk of them falling into the pedestrianised aisles below.

Direct Wines addressed the problem immediately, bringing in Troax to carry out a full risk assessment and identify the safety measures required to solve the problem.

Troax's solution was to install extensive runs of anti-collapse pallet rack safety screens throughout the racking in the warehouse to prevent accidents caused by cases falling from pallets during picking and injuring staff working in the aisles.

The all-welded, mesh safety screens are 'spine-built', having been installed in the middle of each run of double-sided racking which can be accessed from both sides, preventing 'pallet spill' between the racks.

Troax custom-designed the layout of safety screens, which reaches a height of almost 6.5 metres, to fit the existing racking within the building, accommodating equipment such as a sprinkler system.

Commenting on Troax's solution to the health and safety concerns at the warehouse, Catherine Shubrook at Direct Wines said: "Troax carried out a full risk assessment and quickly identified the measures we needed to take to solve these health and safety issues".

"They were recommended to us by another contractor and we have been very happy with their service throughout the project, from their initial response to our enquiry, through to final snagging".