PS Safety Access® Case Study: International Packaging Manufacturer

When a large international manufacturer of paperboard packaging identified a safety challenge in one of its Canadian plants, it contacted PS Safety Access for a solution. One of the company’s corporate vice presidents had learned about EdgeSafe Smart Gates at a trade show and passed on the product’s benefits to decision-makers throughout the organization.

A recent audit of the Canadian facility had revealed that large doors in the shipping and receiving docks needed to be protected by some type of gate in order to meet COHS standards. These areas contained a diverse set of doors, ledges and edges – some mainly open, others mainly closed – along with one screened door that stayed open all the time to provide ventilation to the plant.

“Not only were we using those doors and ledges to move products and materials, but also for recycling and trash disposal,” says the plant’s procurement and logistics manager. “It was a challenging set of issues, but safety is our number one priority, so there was no question that we were going to make improvements.”

However, the timing of the audit could not have been worse, as international lawmakers were sparring politically and increasing tariffs by record amounts, with policies seemingly changing by the day. “There was so much uncertainty. We made the best choice we could, but the results were disappointing,” shares the procurement and logistics manager. “The safety gates that we settled on were very heavy and slammed shut when closing – yet they were also very flimsy. Even worse, they had terrible pinch points that put workers’ hands at risk as well. We knew almost immediately that they weren’t going to work. That’s when we called PS Safety Access.”

The facility purchased nine EdgeSafe Smart Gates, complete with one-handed operation, zero pinch points and unique Slam-Proof® technology. A combination of single- and double-gate configurations were required to address the facility’s various needs. Assembly was handled by the plant’s maintenance team.

“It’s not something they do very often, so we had a lot of questions about installation, at least to begin with,” recalls the procurement and logistics manager. “The team at PS Safety Access was outstanding. Their communication was excellent, and they got back to us very quickly when we had questions. They provided us with excellent information and support that helped to illustrate the steps of installation, and they even sent us a gate to try out before we ordered!”

Not only were the EdgeSafe Smart Gates installed successfully, the advantages of working with PS Safety Access became clear right away. “These gates are so easy to open that anyone can do it with one hand. And they’re so simple to close that you can just start them downward and walk away, and the gate closes the rest of the way on its own,” the procurement and logistics manager says. “Plus, there are no pinch points, which is a big deal for us because we really stress hand safety.”

The end result of this project was a success story for worker safety, something every company can appreciate. If your business needs to improve safety around loading docks, machinery and raised platforms, the EdgeSafe Smart Gate is an excellent choice. Its flexible sizing and vertical opening make it a perfect fit for virtually any situation, including loading docks, fall protection/railing openings, mezzanines, machine guarding, equipment protection, ground-level traffic/pedestrian control, aisle violator, area perimeter protection and pedestrian control where forklift traffic (or other machinery) is present. To learn more about EdgeSafe Smart Gates, click here.