Protecting people and equipment on site and increasing visibility are crucial in a workplace environment where people, forklifts, and other Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) operate in the same space. For Blue Water Shipping, implementing safety solutions that could achieve these outcomes was critical.
As a global provider of logistics and freight forwarding services, Blue Water’s operations support heavy industry, port logistics, and project cargo. With more than 80 offices worldwide, including their Port of Brisbane site, safety and operational efficiency are instrumental in ensuring daily operations run smoothly across the board.
Client Challenges
- Existing pedestrian walkways were marked with painted lines, with no physical protection between forklifts and people
- Unprotected expensive assets, leaving them wide open to costly forklift and MHE impact
- Implementing safety solutions that wouldn’t impact operational efficiency
Our Approach
To gain a comprehensive understanding of Blue Water’s challenges and desired outcomes for its Port of Brisbane site, our AU Workplaces Sales Manager Jared Muller visited the site and met with Blue Water Warehouse Manager Ashley Dionysuis to conduct a walk-through of the port facility.
By visiting the site in person and identifying Blue Water’s requirements face-to-face, we were able to develop a range of safety solutions that would enhance visibility and protect people and assets.
Solutions Recommended
Here are the safety solutions we recommended Blue Water implement and why:
d-Flexx Mono Plus Barrier
To create a physical divide between pedestrians, forklifts and other MHE, Blue Water installed over 140 metres of the d-Flexx Mono Plus barrier—a flexible and highly impact-resistant safety barrier system. This product was chosen for its durability and ability to absorb impact, returning to its original shape and preventing expensive damage that can occur when steel barriers are struck. The barrier colouring and structure make it highly visible, so Blue Water forklifts and MHE can see them clearly when moving around the site.
d-Flexx Self-Closing Gate
In conjunction with the Mono Plus Barriers, Blue Water incorporated d-Flexx Self-Closing Gates to create pause points along the walkways, guiding pedestrians and prompting them to stop and be aware of their surroundings before entering operational zones. With top-quality adjustable hydraulic hinges, there is a reduced need for maintenance and an increase in longevity.
Aluminium Pedestrian Handrail
Blue Water was experiencing issues with pedestrians walking through their landscaped area to access the building’s entrance. Not only was this causing damage to the garden area, but not having a visual guide also posed a significant safety risk, as pedestrians were crossing a driveway where moving vehicles were passing through. To solve this problem, they installed an Aluminium Pedestrian Handrail along the designated pedestrian pathway to push people towards the safer, allocated route and keep them protected from vehicles.
The Outcome
By installing the Mono Plus Barrier System and complementary Self-Closing Gates, Blue Water was able to eliminate the risk of pedestrians intersecting with forklifts and other MHE, and create visible deterrents for MHE that, if hit, would reduce damage and maintenance costs.
The implementation of an Aluminium Pedestrian Handrail at the lunch area further protected pedestrians by directing them to a designated walkway and keeping them away from moving vehicles.
These solutions helped to improve safety and efficiency at the Port site overall, resulting in a more controlled work environment that supports both compliance and operational flow.
