The Importance of Machine Guarding and Safety in Dispatch Environments

Dispatch areas are high-activity zones within warehouses or distribution centres where goods are sorted, prepared, and shipped. Standard features of these areas include:

• Pallet racking
• Loading transport bays
• Conveyor systems
• Packing stations
• Palletiser and wrapping machines
• Forklifts
• Automated or robotic storage solutions 

Given the frequency of human-machine interaction in these spaces, the potential for accidents is significant without proper safeguards.

Machine guarding refers to the use of fencing, devices, or design features that prevent access to dangerous parts of typically fixed position machinery. It's a first line of defence in protecting workers from:

• Moving parts (gears, belts, rollers)
• Crushing points
• Entanglement risks
• Sharp or heated surfaces

In the UK, machine safety is covered by the Machine Guarding Directive 2006/42/EC and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). These regulations require that dangerous parts of equipment be guarded to prevent access during operation.

Discover Axelent's flexible machine guarding system – X-Guard

Impact barriers or crash barriers refer to barriers used to prevent or protect people and property from accidental or dynamic collisions between controlled moving machinery. These risks can include;

• Forklifts
• Manual handling equipment
• Lorries and trucks
• Gates and doors

The need for impact barriers alongside machine guarding to prevent downtime and damage to key infrastructure is on the rise. Logistics hubs have increasing looked to automate, integrate, and speed up their dispatches. Just see the rise of next day delivery services as an example. 

Axelent's X-Protect range is built with all this in mind.

Dispatch zones are among a warehouse or distribution centre's most dynamic and high-risk areas. They're where goods are finalised, loaded, and sent out, often under tight time constraints. In this pressure cooker environment, the risk of human-machine interaction is exceptionally high, and that's where machine guarding and impact barriers become crucial.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), injuries involving moving machinery remain a common cause of serious workplace incidents. Effective guarding and barriers prevent harm and demonstrate a commitment to employee well-being.

Here's why it's essential:

1. Protect workers from mechanical hazards
2. Controls pedestrian traffic
3. Reduces downtime and costs
4. Legal compliance
5. Improves safety culture

Machines like conveyors, automated sorting lines, and palletisers can have moving parts that pose risks, such as:

• Pinch points
• Crush zones
• Shear edges
• Entanglement risks (loose clothing or fingers near belts and rollers)

Proper machine guarding prevents direct contact with these danger zones, reducing the risk of serious injury. The Machine Guarding Directive 2006/42/EC details the proper guarding of machinery that poses such risks such as safety distances, allowable gaps, and entry methods to such machines. 

Impact protection can be used in combination with guarding to help protect against collisions between traffic and the machine cell. This can prevent costly damage and downtime in high risk or interaction areas.

In dispatch areas, employees and machinery often share the same space. Modular guarding and Impact barrier systems like Axelent's X-Guard or X-Protect can;

• Define walkways from vehicle traffic
• Create levels of physical separation between personnel and active machinery depending on the level of danger. 
• Prevent unauthorised access to restricted areas

This simple separation reduces confusion and accidental entry into hazardous zones. It can also offer other benefits such as increased efficiency and traceability of your processes.

Injuries and near-misses result in:

• Operational shutdowns
• Investigations
• HSE reports
• Legal liability
• Bad publicity

Effective use of machine guarding and impact barriers help to avoid unplanned downtime, protect your insurance rating, and improve overall workflow by reducing risk-related disruptions.

When workers see that risks are being addressed with physical safety measures, it builds:

• Trust in the company
• Confidence in using equipment
• A more substantial overall health & safety culture
• The feeling of being valued

That's key for retention, morale, and reputation in a sector where skilled staff are hard to keep. It can also even help attract new talent over rivals.

Axelent have provided numerous customers safety solutions for their dispatch and other high risk areas

• View British Offsite's state of the art new facility in Essex.
• Eddie Stobart's new European logistics hub
• Haitian PMM moulding machinery in the UK

Axelent solutions are designed as a modular future-proof solution that grows with your operational needs while maintaining full compliance and safety.

1. Conduct Risk Assessments - Identify all machinery and activities that present a hazard and assess how likely and severe those risks are. Ensure compliance to the correct standards.
2. Select the Right Protection- Match solutions to the hazard type such as fixed machine guarding for permanent hazards, or impact barriers for dynamic moving risks, or areas of high interaction between people and machines.
3. Train Staff - Ensure everyone working in or around dispatch areas understands the risks and the purpose of each safety measure introduced.
4. Inspect and Maintain Regularly - Set up a schedule for checking guards and barriers for impacts or failures.
5. Integrate Smart Tech Where Possible - Consider sensor-triggered shut-offs, light curtains, or proximity alerts in high-risk areas in conjunction with physical barriers.

In the UK, machine guarding is a legal requirement under PUWER 1998 and supported by broader legislation such as:

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and 2023/1230

Failure to comply can result in enforcement action by the HSE, including fines, prohibition notices, or even prosecution in cases of serious injury.

Guarding also supports adherence to ISO 45001—the international standard for occupational health and safety management.

Safety is evolving with innovations like:

• Pressure-sensitive mats
• Infrared light curtains
• Smart sensors for proximity alerts
• Active safety and predictive A.I
• Projections and lighting

All of these can increase efficiency and safety effectiveness when used alongside traditional physical barriers. Smart safety technology is a fast moving field however, so it is important to still ensure compliance with the usually slower to evolve safety standards and legislation. 

Implementing machine guarding and barriers isn't just about ticking a regulatory box, it's about creating a safe, efficient environment where people can perform their jobs confidently and without unnecessary risk.

With dispatch zones acting as critical pressure points in logistics operations, investing in robust safety systems pays off in reduced downtime, lower insurance claims, and most importantly protecting your people.

Ready to take the next step?

Speak to a safety expert at Axelent UK for a free consultation and site survey to start your safety journey.