Warehouse Guardrails

Should we install a highway guardrail in our warehouse?

ANSWER: Depends, probably not.

• A highway guardrail is just that; it will look and feel and react on impact, similar to a standard guard rail you may see beside the road.

  • Meaning, you can crash into them, and you will know you hit it.

  • These will show impact and will need to be replaced once damaged.

  • By design, these are meant to be installed parallel to the protection area and are meant to receive a “glancing blow” type of hit. Whereas if you place it perpendicular to the protection area, the unit will undoubtedly be adversely affected and may even fail to depend on the amount of force being applied and the size of the surface the force is generated by.

• A warehouse guardrail is typically a brightly painted or powder-coated material that is the typical design used in modern warehouse environments.

  • Typically these are set up as single panel units, close to the floor, or double panel units.

  • A triple rail unit is also available, and this offers more protection as it is usually installed on the same height post as the double rail.

Summary | why is this important?

A guardrail is a barrier that protects known threats.  

If you take the time to evaluate the cost of what it is you are trying to protect and the cost to repair or replace it if the known threat strikes it, you will develop a basis to arrive at the expense of investment.  

Whether you are protecting an innocuous warehouse wall, a battery charger worth thousands of dollars, or an employee (priceless) from the threat, the equations will solve themselves when evaluating them from this vantage point.

In addition to these guard rail options, several other solutions may be relevant to your threat concerns and applications, such as bollards, column guards, end of row guards, security barriers, and retractable dock guards. All of these have a place in our workspaces, and each one will offer you additional protection where you need it most.

Repairing is cheaper than replacing.

Your existing guardrails are subject to significant wear and tear in any warehouse operation. Fixing what can be fixed directly impacts your efficiency and bottom-line savings to your budget. We approach repairs with a straightforward question: 

“Why buy replacements over and over when there’s a smart, safe, and affordable option for fixing uprights?”

Repairing costs about 50% less than replacing. Our engineered repair solutions will add superior impact resistance, built to last.

Superior impact resistance

Thank you for taking the time to read up on these matters, and I welcome your call or contact to discuss these options further. We bring years of practical experience to industrial installation and look forward to assisting you with your next needs. In addition, we provide a wide range of projects listed HERE