Hoogvliet & A-SAFE

Dutch supermarket giant, Hoogvliet, recently collaborated with A-SAFE safety specialists to install a number of high quality safety solutions to enhance the protection of its employees and machinery whilst boosting efficiency.

You can find more in the video.

A fresh approach to safety solutions

The investment into the new operations HUB brought a fresh approach to protection. This is due to Hoogvliets’ experience with steel barriers at older facilities, which lead to high maintenance costs and damage to flooring foundations and vehicles upon impact.

This has resulted in the forward-thinking company exploring polymer alternatives, due to their high resilience and impact absorption engineering which leads to a signification reduction in costs versus the steel alternative.

Protecting warehouse staff from vehicles

Taking on the guidance of the A-SAFE safety specialists, Hoogvliet moved forward with the installation of polymer safety barriers and swing gates to highlight the approach to areas of high risk to pedestrians, prompting extra care to be taken.

The Dutch supermarket giant also installed A-SAFE bollards to protect loading areas from impact damage. In addition, pedestrian and traffic barriers were installed in stockroom areas to protect employees from moving vehicles.

Seeing the benefits of polymer barriers

Hoogvliet Facilities Manager, Jan Bergman, has observed the positive impact that A-SAFE solutions have had in their distribution centre. The range of products have successfully reduced damage to internal transport, and the products show little signs of damage following a number of impacts. As a result, the company is already seeing a return on investment.

He states that since the facility became operational 2 years ago, there has been a significant reduction in damage to both the barriers and trucks. “While occasional collisions do still occur, the material used in the barriers is highly resilient and able to absorb impacts with ease. This has led to a significant reduction in the need for repairs on the rack legs, barriers, and concrete floors.”

This is something that was expected by Jan, who during the planning phase of the new distribution centre in 2020, proposed to use polymer solutions over steel was made. Bergman stated, "Collision with a steel system causes considerable damage to the trucks and concrete floors on which the steel barriers are attached to. That’s definitely not the case with A-SAFE polymer safety solutions, leading to a great cost reduction."

A-SAFE the reliable safety partner

A-SAFE polymer safety barriers are designed with a patented, flexible polymer called Memaplex™, which allows them to maintain their original shape even after repeated collisions. This not only eliminates the need for costly maintenance and repairs but also provides a cost-effective solution for the managers of distribution centres. As Bergman states, "A-SAFE guarantees the performance of its products through inspection by TÜV-Nord, ensuring they meet PAS 13 guidelines which maintains strict quality standards for safety barriers. This inspires confidence in the durability and high quality of our equipment."

According to Bergman, A-SAFE's polymer safety barriers have additional benefits. Not only do they have a high visibility appearance, but they are easy to clean and can be expanded using the patented coupling system. Bergman notes, "I am very satisfied with A-SAFE solutions. The process of installation and design was smooth and non-disruptive. A-SAFE truly stand behind their process and product quality without any sense of arrogance. We have found a reliable partner!"

Article created in collaboration with WarehouseTotaal