Architects are increasingly specifying industrial protection equipment for warehouses and distribution centres. Paul Roehricht of Brandsafe provides guidance on best practice. Distribution and logistics are dynamic sectors that’s forecast to be worth over $325 billion by the end of 2024. In the UK alone, one leading commercial property group* reports
New electric vehicle (EV) charge point protectors are part of a package of safety and impact protection equipment from specialist Brandsafe that have been specified for Amazon’s new North East warehouse and distribution centre. The move sees Brandsafe supplying its impact resistant protection posts, bollards and highly visible HLGV and
Package of impact protection measures maximise safety New safety and impact protection equipment from specialist Brandsafe has been specified to support operations at a major strategic distribution centre in the East Midlands. The move sees the UK based company installing a range of safety and protection equipment at DHL Supply
New safety and impact protection equipment from specialist Brandsafe has been specified for a major new warehouse and distribution centre in London. The move sees the UK based company supplying a range of its high-quality safety and protection equipment to online retailer Amazon’s 180,720 sq. ft. multi-storey site in Neasden. This includes
Architects are increasingly specifying industrial protection equipment for warehouses and distribution centres. Paul Roehricht of Brandsafe provides guidance on best practice. Distribution and logistics are dynamic sectors that’s forecast to be worth over $325 billion by the end of 2024. In the UK alone, one leading commercial property group* reports that investment in UK industrial and logistics totalled a record £6bn in H1 2021, more than double the £2.7bn recorded in the same period of 2020 and up 54% on the previous record period in 2018. It also forecasts that the UK will require an extra 92 million sq. ft. of warehousing space over the next three years. The demand for online grocery sales alone will account for 7.1 million sq. ft. of this additional space. So, what does all this demand mean for warehouses now and in the future? One thing for certain is that continuing best practice around health and safety in industrial environments that are becoming ever busier will be crucial. People and property need to be protected and architects and others responsible for these designs, need to understand how they can facilitate better, safer and more effective workplaces for their clients. Under UK law, employers must observe a duty of care to their workforce: they must identify the risks each person faces at work and plan accordingly. Specification A key part of best practice involving specification for new warehouses, or even improving or expanding existing ones, centres around the efficiency and sustainability of the property – clients are ultimately looking for a premises that runs as safely and efficiently as possible. The Health and Safety Executive’s HSG76 advises on a number of areas that need to be taken into account when planning the layout of a site so that ‘…pedestrians and vehicles can circulate safely. Where vehicles and pedestrians use the same traffic route, there should be adequate separation between them’. This involves the installation of clear signage and floor markings, which are crucial to the safe and efficient movement of people, vehicles and machinery around the industrial workspace.HSG76 also recommends combining this clearly discernible signage with guardrails and pedestrian handrails used to create clear segregation and traffic routes. Racking and storage is another area where incremental gains in safety can be achieved in a relatively straightforward and cost-effective manner. The application of clip-on protection to rack ends and any sharp edges of units will for example, protect people, vehicles and the units themselves from impact and collision damage. Careful consideration should also be given to choosing the right products supplier. First and foremost, it is critical that they must offer products appropriate for the project. This might seem somewhat obvious, but it is not uncommon for some safety products to look good on paper only to lack the necessary performance characteristics that make them suitable for the required application. Here, opt for products whose performance has been assessed and verified through independent testing – this will always be a good starting point and a clear indicative of suitability. A good supplier should be able to advise an architect on the performance requirements for each system on a project-by-project basis, which will allow you to tailor your designs to the exact needs of the end user. This is where it benefits to partner with a supplier which has an in-house surveying and design team; they can directly support you and make it easier to create bespoke solutions for each project. Requisite expertise Looking further down the project timeline, it will make life easier for the appointed main contractor if your safety system supplier is able to deploy its own installation teams. They will be best placed to assist on-site, helping to make sure that the project is completed within the desired timescales and budget. They will also have the requisite technical knowledge to deal with any issues on-site during the installation process, adding further to fast turnaround times and efficiencies. It’s important to bear in mind that the end client is duty-bound by Regulation 3 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) to ‘…make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work’. An experienced supplier will be well positioned to offer advice and insight when it comes to producing a comprehensive risk assessment for the project site in question. It is also worth considering the strategic partnerships of the supplier when the relevant products are required for your project. Ultimately, architects and specifiers will want to work with fast and responsive suppliers; organisations that can guide and advise based on project requirements through a consultative approach. Health and safety is a critical component of any modern, well-managed warehouse or logistics operation and there is always room for improvement when it comes to safeguarding and protecting people, and mitigating risk. In short, specification of effective safety solutions is simply good business. A RIBA-approved CPD seminar for architects on industrial safety solutions is available from Brandsafe. Details at www.brandsafeprotection.com * https://www.savills.co.uk/research_articles/229130/315446-0
New electric vehicle (EV) charge point protectors are part of a package of safety and impact protection equipment from specialist Brandsafe that have been specified for Amazon’s new North East warehouse and distribution centre. The move sees Brandsafe supplying its impact resistant protection posts, bollards and highly visible HLGV and car wheel stops to provide improved levels of EV charge point safety and protection at the 148,477 sq. ft. logistics facility at Follingsby Park in Gateshead. The work also sees the company, which is working on the product specification side with architects SMR Architects and main contractor TSL, providing consultancy and project design alongside a package of aftersales service and support. The Gateshead site is part of plans by Amazon to boost its North East distribution activities, boosting services to millions of customers across the region. It’s anticipated that the facility, which is set to employ around 1,000 people when it opens in 2022, will operate as a freight consolidation centre, with HGVs delivering goods from larger storage facilities and vans before distributing these to the local area. Armco rails and safety barriers featuring integrated safety ends, corners and post caps together with pedestrian handrails, polywrap column protectors, security caging and fencing, and cycle shelters, are among hundreds of items of equipment also being installed by Brandsafe’s service team, to meet the requirement for safety and impact protection around the site. These are being manufactured at the company’s Milton Keynes site and involve close cooperation between product supplier and contractor teams as part of an extensive scope of work to provide added safety planning services and expertise. This is the latest success for Brandsafe, which has maintained growth and expansion in the wake a raft of new projects and a strong forward order book for the next 12 months. Paul Roehricht, UK strategic account manager, said the company is seen as a leading supplier of industrial safety and impact protection products and integrated systems for several major international logistics and retail operators. He said: “This is another prestigious project for us, showing our capability to meet the specific requirements of global customers and add value through bespoke planning and consultancy services. It vindicates our continued investment in products and services to deliver time critical, complex and high-profile contracts. “We continue to strengthen our relationship with Amazon, who are benefiting from our expertise, quality products and support resources.”
Package of impact protection measures maximise safety New safety and impact protection equipment from specialist Brandsafe has been specified to support operations at a major strategic distribution centre in the East Midlands. The move sees the UK based company installing a range of safety and protection equipment at DHL Supply Chain’s new 538,280 sq. ft. campus in Manton Wood, near Worksop in Nottinghamshire, including systems designed to provide safer routing and parking for more than 150 heavy goods vehicles using the site. Working on the specification side with project architects UMC Architects and main contractors TSL, Brandsafe’s also providing consultancy and project design services alongside a comprehensive aftersales support package as the multi-storey development gears up to operational capacity in 2021. Located close to the A1 and M1 national road networks, the centre reflects DHL’s commitment to reduce logistics-related emissions to net zero by 2050 and features several energy-saving innovations that exceed current regulations for a building of its type. These include daylight harvesting, intelligent LED lighting, solar thermal hot water, grey water harvesting for welfare facilities and landscaping irrigation. Armco safety barriers, featuring integrated safety ends, corners and post caps together with mezzanine, platform and side of ramp handrails, are among hundreds of items being installed by Brandsafe’s service team across a 60-acre site, which features staff car parks and connecting roads. Column protectors, flexi delineators, bollards, speed bumps and HGV parking bay wheel stops, secure cages, pedestrian access doors have also been specified as part of measures to provide the highest standards of site safety and impact protection for the workforce and site visitors. The equipment is manufactured at the company’s Milton Keynes site and sees close cooperation between product supplier and contractor teams as part of an extensive scope of work to provide added safety planning services and expertise. This is the latest success for Brandsafe, which has produced a strong business performance in the last three years on the back of significant contract wins and a focus on new product development and introductions. Further reflecting the firm’s growing reputation as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of warehouse and distribution safety and impact protection products and integrated systems, Paul Roehricht, UK strategic account manager, said: “The distribution campus at Manton Wood is a great example of how our products can be used together to provide a comprehensive impact safety solution for warehouse and logistics operations of all shapes and sizes. “It also vindicates our continued investment in building our capability and expertise to be able to deliver time critical, complex and high-profile contracts.”
New safety and impact protection equipment from specialist Brandsafe has been specified for a major new warehouse and distribution centre in London. The move sees the UK based company supplying a range of its high-quality safety and protection equipment to online retailer Amazon’s 180,720 sq. ft. multi-storey site in Neasden. This includes products designed to facilitate pedestrian and parking safety while improving vehicle traffic routing and calming for the site. The work also involves Brandsafe, which is working on the product specification side with project architects SMR Architects, providing consultancy and project design, together with a comprehensive package of aftersales service support. The Neasden site is part of on-going plans by Amazon to upgrade its international distribution infrastructure to improve its operations and boost deliveries to millions of customers. Several sites across the UK and Europe are either under new construction or being upgraded to provide state-of-the-art centres to meet the current and future operational requirements. Hundreds of items of impact protection products, including Armco safety barriers featuring integrated safety ends, corners and post caps together with pedestrian safety handrails, column protectors, bollards, speed bumps and flexible traffic delineators, are among a package of equipment being installed onsite by Brandsafe’s service team. Security caging, fencing, gate posts and panels have also been supplied. The equipment is manufactured at the company’s Milton Keynes site and sees close cooperation between product supplier and contractor teams as part of an extensive scope of work to provide added safety planning services and expertise. The project is the latest success for Brandsafe, which has produced a strong business performance in the last three years on the back of significant contract wins and a focus on new product development and introductions. Paul Roehricht, UK strategic account manager, said this is another success and boost for Brandsafe, reflecting its growing reputation as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of warehouse and distribution safety and impact protection products and integrated systems. He said: “This project shows how we continue to meet the requirements of our global customers, adding value in the process through bespoke planning and consultancy services. It also vindicates our continued investment in building our capability and expertise to be able to deliver time critical, complex and high-profile contracts.”
