Worker safety is a priority for every business, especially modern warehouses, which are bustling with activity. There’s always something moving, lifting, or shifting, and with all this activity comes the increased risk of accidents and injuries.
According to the report by the US Department of Labor, injury rates have been consistently high in warehouses, with five of every hundred employees getting hurt in 2021, which is more than double the rate across all industries.
While training does help, installing high-speed warehouse doors is one more way to keep your workers safe. As experts in high-speed warehouse dock door repair and installation, we’ve seen firsthand how these doors can make a difference in employee safety.
Let’s find out how.
Table Of Content
1. Reduced Risk of Collisions
2. Better Traffic Flow and Visibility
3. Advanced Safety Features
4. Choosing the Right High-Speed Warehouse Door
5. The Bottom Line
Reduced Risk of Collisions
High-speed warehouse doors open and close quickly, with opening speeds of more than 100 inches per second. This high-speed opening rate means, the doorway isn’t closed for long and keeps your warehouse traffic moving smoothly.
Forklift collisions can be costly and dangerous, causing significant damage to your goods and injuries to your workers. But with high-speed warehouse doors, every door opens and closes so fast that forklifts can move without waiting, reducing the risk of collisions.
Fewer collisions also mean fewer warehouse door repairs and less downtime. With an unplanned downtime costing about $9,000 per minute, installing high-speed doors can help you save considerable money down the line.
Enhance Warehouse Safety with High-Speed Doors!
Better Traffic Flow and Visibility
Warehouse high-speed doors keep moving your warehouse traffic smoothly. When a high-speed door opens and closes quickly, forklifts and workers can move more freely and do their jobs efficiently. Besides reducing the risk of accidents, this improves your productivity.
Visibility is another big plus when installing high-speed warehouse doors. These warehouse doors often have clear sections, which lets your workers see the traffic coming from the other side, reducing the risk of collisions.
Advanced Safety Features
High-speed warehouse doors come with advanced features that maximize worker safety in busy warehouses. Some of these features include:
- Safety Sensors
Safety sensors can detect obstacles in the doorway, preventing the door from closing on forklifts, workers, or equipment and reducing the risk of accidents.
- Audio and Light Alerts
Many high-speed doors feature audio and light alerts, which turn on when the door is about to open or close. These signals can warn the workers and forklift operators standing near the door, ensuring they stay clear of the doorway.
- Soft Bottom Edges
Soft bottom edges are another security feature found in some high-speed warehouse doors. Even if the door does make contact with a person or object, the soft edge reduces the impact, lowering the risk of severe injury or damage.
- Manual Override
High-speed doors have a manual override. In case of a power outage or system failure, you can manually operate the door. This keeps your warehouse traffic moving smoothly, even if the door system fails or there’s a power outage.
Improve Safety with High-Speed Doors!
Choosing the Right High-Speed Warehouse Door
Choosing high-speed doors for your facility depends on many factors.
Here’s what you need to consider:
- Your Warehousing Needs
Think about your warehousing needs. If your warehouse stocks temperature-sensitive goods like food, you need insulated doors that open and close quickly. These doors prevent the temperature-controlled air from escaping outside and prevent your goods from perishing.
- Your Warehouse Traffic
Consider the volume and type of traffic in your warehouse. If you have heavy forklift traffic, you’ll need a door that can withstand constant use without frequent maintenance.
- Location and Weather
Choose high-speed warehouse doors depending on your location and weather. In Nevada, where both summer and winter can be brutal, your warehouse needs insulated doors that can open and close quickly. These doors can maintain optimal indoor temperatures and prevent your energy bills from skyrocketing.
- Customizations
High-speed warehouse doors should be tailored to fit your operation and safety needs. Look for doors that offer custom sizes, designs, and additional features like visibility panels or specific safety features.
The Bottom Line
All things considered; high-speed doors are a smart investment for any warehouse. These doors improve worker safety, reduce the risk of collisions, and keep the traffic flowing smoothly. But when choosing high-speed doors for your facility, you need to consider your warehousing needs, traffic type and volume, location, weather, and customizations.
Do you need more information on high-speed doors? As the go-to for high-speed warehouse dock door repairs, we are here to answer all your queries and help you point in the right direction.
Call us today for more details!