Accident Prevention: How Physical Barriers Reduced Risk at Busy Australian Warehouse Site

d-flexx barrier at Blue Water Shipping

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 Pedestrian Barrier blue water shipping

 

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.

d-flexx pedestrian gate
The d-flexx pedestrian gate encourages pedestrians to pause before entering an unsafe traffic flow.
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.

d-flexx aluminium gate
Installing a d-flexx aluminium gate enabled Blue Water to create a designated pedestrian walkway and protect the surrounding landscaping.

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.

How QuayConnect Prioritised Pedestrian Safety at New Marlborough Site

d-flexx Pedestrian Barrier

In fast-moving environments where people and vehicles cross paths, safety isn’t optional—it’s essential. For QuayConnect, as an integrated warehouse, transport, and logistical service, preventing these incidents from happening is their top priority.

Based in the heart of Marlborough, QuayConnect connects the wine industry and other cargo owners with local and international markets. Providing a comprehensive service, they offer storage of bottles, dry goods, and finished products, as well as inventory management, container freight, and other related services.

When they began building the first inland port in Marlborough, finding the most protective safety solutions for their new site was a must. To achieve that goal, they needed to be able to separate and protect staff, visitors, vehicles, and all other moving parts.

Client Challenge:

  • Finding a safe way for staff and visitors to walk around the warehouse and through the outside canopy area when trucks, forklifts and Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) were moving in and out of the site.
  • Introducing a safety system at the entrance and exit to the warehouse that would decrease the risk of damage to structures, vehicles, and MHE from impact.

That’s where the Vanguard team came in.

Solutions Recommended:

To fully understand QuayConnect’s challenges and objectives, our NZ Workplaces Sales Manager, Tim Boon, visited the site and met with the Branch Manager, Richard Graham, to conduct a walk-through of the port facility. This allowed us to assess their areas of concern and ensure the solutions we recommended were fit-for-purpose and outcome-focused.

QuayConnect Installed:

d-flexx Pedestrian Barrier

The d-flexx Pedestrian Barrier is a certified, shock-absorbent and highly impact-resistant safety barrier. QuayConnect utilised this barrier to create a safe walkway along the warehouse wall, separating pedestrians from trucks, forklifts, and MHE.

d-flexx Self-Closing Gate

QuayConnect then incorporated the d-flexx Self-Closing Gate into the pedestrian barrier to create pause points along walkways, guiding pedestrians to stop, take note and be aware of their environment before stepping out into a busy, live traffic zone. Thanks to the product’s top-quality adjustable hydraulic hinges, the team were able to reduce maintenance and increase their longevity.

Double Rail Steel Protection Barrier

For the outdoor canopy area, QuayConnect installed double rail steel protection barriers to create a safe walkway through the space. The double rail barrier is used for traffic management and protecting against forklift injury to personnel and damage to buildings and assets. Double rail offers them more protection and a higher strength rating.

Double Rail Steel Barrier
Image: Double Rail Steel Barrier

Steel Pause Gate

QuayConnect  also added Steel Pause Gates at each end of the steel barrier to provide pedestrians with safe entrance and exit points from the walkway. The gates open in a single direction, preventing people from walking directly into live traffic by bringing them to a pause to open the gate toward them.

d-flexx Energy Absorbing Bollard

The final stage of the safety plan involved installing a series of d-flexx Energy Absorbing Bollards at the entrance and exit to the warehouse. Surface-mounted to concrete, these bollards gave them instant, high-quality protection for structures and equipment against damage from light vehicles and machinery.

d-flexx energy absorbing bollard
Image: d-flexx Energy Absorbing Bollard

Related: Ready to Install Safety Barriers & Bollards? Prep Your Site in 10 Steps.

The Outcome

With the help of these Vanguard solutions, QuayConnect delivered:

  • Safe Pedestrian Zones: designated safe zones to ensure that pedestrians, including staff and visitors to the site, could enter and exit the facility safely, without being at risk of injury from moving vehicles.
  • Enhanced Asset Protection: Surface Mount Energy Absorbing Bollards at the warehouse entrance and exit will provide sturdy physical protection for structures and equipment, act as a visual deterrent, and slow vehicle traffic.
  • Cost Savings: These solutions work to proactively prevent damage to expensive equipment and significantly reduce the risk of operational delays.

 

Need help with traffic management controls and pedestrian safety at your Workplace?

If you’re ready to find the right solutions for you and your site, get in touch with us to start the conversation! Simply fill out the form below, speak with one of our team members via our live chat, or give us a call to explore your options.