UKWA FOR WEB - United Kingdom Warehousing Association

36 Warehouse Doors
Opening
remarks
Companies that
pay proper
attention to
industrial door
safety benefit
from safer, more
productive
working
environments,
writes Jim
Round of
Caljan RiteHite
Industrial door accidents
generally fall
into one of four categories:
1. Downward impact (door hits person).
2. Entrapment – when a person is trapped
under a door and held down by its weight.
3. Lateral impact (person hits door).
4. Secondary impact – Where there is a
secondary accident ie, impact causes the
door to break away and the heavy bottom
bar swings outward, hitting someone.
Choosing a door suited to the application
helps prevent accidents. There are
many different industrial door types, such
as high-speed roll-up, bi-parting, bi-rolling,
sectional, rolling steel, screen, curtain and
impact. Many of these are suitable for both
internal and external use and have the
option of manual or automatic activation.
Before choosing, study the application
carefully. Is it an internal or external doorway
Is it for pedestrians, vehicles or both
Will the traffic flow be one way or two Is
vehicle speed near the door opening a
concern These are all factors that will
have crucial health and safety implications.
Of the four types of accidents, downward
impacts are perhaps the most common.
Some manufacturers offer lightweight
doors, which incorporate the usual safety
switches and reversing mechanisms, but
feature a soft bottom edge. This buckles
upon impact, distributing the force of the
blow and reducing the risk of injury. Doors
of this type often incorporate infrared area
detection sensors for extra safety.
Industrial doors frequently use reversing
mechanisms to reduce the risk of entrapment.
Reversing mechanisms use a pneumatic
or electronic switch to detect an
obstruction (i.e. a person) in the doorway
and automatically reopen a closing door.
Recently, manufacturers have added failsafe
switches, which monitor reversing
mechanisms and increase safety.
Photoelectric safety beams and sensors are
available, which detect the presence of a
person or forklift approaching or travelling
through the doorway and prevent the door
from closing.
Lateral impact occurs when workers (usually
riding forklifts or other
vehicles) collide with the
door, or objects adjacent
to the door. If the traffic is
two way and visibility
through the door is poor,
forklifts can collide with
other vehicles or workers
on the other side. Lateral impact, although
less common, is extremely dangerous.
Ensuring the traffic flows in one direction
and putting plastic window panels into the
door to improve visibility reduces the risk of
these accidents.
Secondary impact makes initial injuries
worse or causes new ones. These accidents
can occur in several ways. For example,
after an impact the reversing mechanism
fully retracts the door. There is a risk the
door could drag the injured worker up with
it, or strike the worker again on its way.
Many industrial doors open much faster
than they close, so the secondary impact is
likely to have more force. Modern reversing
mechanisms retract the door just a few
inches, just enough to take the weight off
without risking secondary impact.
The door activation system can affect
safety and requires careful consideration.
Photo-eye sensors, induction loops and
motion detectors activate doors automatically
as vehicles approach, enabling highspeed
travel. However, this could be dangerous
if traffic becomes congested or
pedestrians use the opening. Manual activation
methods, such as radio controls,
push buttons and pull cords, moderate traffic
speed and increase safety levels.
Adequate staff training is essential.
People that use the door must understand
how it operates. Many door manufacturers
will provide a safety training seminar if
requested. Additional equipment, such as
mirrors at blind corners and devices that
signal an alarm when the door is about to
open, may be useful.
Proper inspection and maintenance
keeps industrial doors in good working
order and reduces the chance of accidents.
Facilities managers should ensure servicing
takes place on schedule, without exception.
www.caljanritehite.com
June 2008
www.ukwa.org.uk