When a forklift hits warehouse racking or a structural column, the obvious assumption is simple: the stronger the protection, the safer the warehouse.
But what if that assumption is wrong?
In the latest episode of Logistics Business Conversations, editor Peter MacLeod speaks with Jim Ryan, founder of Sentry Protection Products, about what really happens in the split second when several tonnes of materials handling equipment meets critical warehouse infrastructure.
Are Warehouses Getting Impact Protection Wrong?
With almost three decades spent developing warehouse protection systems, Ryan has seen first-hand how seemingly small decisions around safety can have much bigger consequences.
The conversation gets into the surprising physics behind forklift impacts, why some conventional approaches to protection may not work in the way operators expect, and the potentially significant costs hiding behind what initially looks like a relatively minor warehouse collision.
And it isn’t only about protecting racking.
From structural columns and forklifts to employees, downtime and productivity, one collision can have consequences that spread much further through an operation than the visible damage suggests.
Could Simpler Technology Make Warehouses Safer?
MacLeod and Ryan also look at some of the technologies changing warehouse safety, including new approaches to impact protection and collision avoidance, before turning to a bigger question: what happens as automation and autonomous vehicles become increasingly common in warehouses?
Ryan’s answer might not be what you expect.
As warehouses become smarter and more automated, the technologies that make the biggest difference may not necessarily be the most sophisticated.
So, when it comes to protecting a warehouse, how hard is too hard – and are we thinking about forklift impacts in completely the wrong way?
🎧 Listen to the full episode of Logistics Business Conversations below.