Never too early to plan

Ever increasing consumer demand is placing added pressure on warehouse operators to maximise the square footage they have available. Higher racking and mezzanine levels are now commonplace and as demand is set to increase so the creation of multi-storey warehousing is likely to become the new requirement.

Automation will increasingly become a part of the warehouse of tomorrow, and the subsequent impact this has on human workers and the importance of ensuring their safety cannot be overlooked.

However, providing an integrated safety solution for the modern warehouse will not be without its difficulties. Traditionally, solutions have been about installing measures to ensure pedestrians and moving machinery/lift trucks are separated so that both can perform their tasks safely and efficiently.

ASG Services has been supplying line marking, physical barriers and safety signs to warehouse operators as part of its core services for years. These have helped to ensure the safe segregation of people and machinery within the warehouse. The Covid-19 outbreak has heightened concerns about worker safety and in the aftermath of the pandemic, a greater focus has been placed on the safety of warehouse workers as the need to safely social distance places new responsibilities upon the warehouse operator. ASG Services has responded to this to by supplying new products including safety signage, anti-viral desk screens and hand sanitiser. This will continue as until a vaccine is found for the virus, social distancing within the workplace will part of the new normal.

Chris Hopkirk, Sales Director for ASG Services, said: “A complete integrated safety solution is generally going to be around 15% of the cost of your racking. Spend a million on racking and it will cost you £150k for the right solution. The return on investment is simple, helping to ensure full safety of your workforce, while maximising productivity. 

"How to resolve this? It is never too early to start planning the right solution. So, do not leave it until the last minute. Start by identifying how and where to segregate personnel. Consider what the impact is likely to be on productivity. Crucially, establish a budget for this and stick to it. Any compromise could jeopardise the integrity of your operation.”

ASG Services’ unique ability to supply integrated safety solutions including line marking, barriers, safety signage and safety net systems has ensured trouble-free warehouse installations for its customers, including quality cookware distributor, KitchenCraft. When KitchenCraft came to plan out its new site in Birmingham, everything had to revolve around safety. Therefore, it had to work with a trusted partner, one that could deliver a quality solution, on budget and within timeframe, which is why it turned to ASG Services.

Other customers, including online supermarket Ocado, retailer H&M Hennes and 3PL logistics provider Great Bear have also benefited from an ASG integrated safety solution and it is no coincidence that ASG’s most engaged clients are the ones to have partnered with it well in advance of their operations going live.

“ASG Services works with its customers to help them plan the right solution for their needs and this will continue as warehouses evolve to meet changes in demand. As a segregation specialist, we have long been supplying our core products such as line marking, safety barriers, safety signage, netting and floor marking. Now, as the warehousing industry evolves so we will be on hand to offer crucial advice,” said Mr Hopkirk.
01925 715767
www.asgservices.co.uk/integrated-solutions