Why is an Overhead Door Protector Important?

Why is an Overhead Door Protector Important

In a fast-paced work environment, it is no secret that efficiency is always the top priority. The whole supply chain needs to be productive, from the production plant to the corporate operations. A delay in one part of the chain affects others. For that reason, administrators and managers want to make sure that every part of their production process is up and running well.

Perhaps one of the most vital parts of the supply chain is the warehouse. There are heaps of businesses that use warehouses when it comes to production, packaging, delivery, and the overall point-to-point logistics of their products. Warehouses must remain efficient, as the delivery and quality of the products depend on how well warehouses are built and managed.

Unfortunately, most warehouses often face delays and accidents due to poor design and maintenance. There’s a long list of safety precautions and smart structural designs that need to be implemented when building and managing warehouses. However, there are still some companies that try to cut costs by failing to use these safety-mechanisms.

Among the most overlooked structural safeguards in warehouses are overhead door protectors. Here, we will talk about what an overhead door protector is and why they are important. We will also discuss how you can use them in your warehouse or production plant to make it safer and more efficient.

What is an overhead door protector

What is an overhead door protector?

An overhead door protector is a type of safety barrier that is used to protect standard door models and door openings from various types of damage, especially in the event of forklift accidents. They are specially designed for use with auto-closing doors. Overhead door protectors prevent production delays by ensuring that auto-closing doors don’t get damaged.

Why is an overhead door protector crucial in warehouses and production plants?

There are so many things that could go wrong in a workplace, regardless if you work in a warehouse, manufacturing facility, distribution centre, cold storage, clean room, or storage unit facility. To prevent large-scale damage in case accidents happen in your warehouse, we recommend prioritising safety.

One of the best safety features that warehouse managers and builders can install in front of their doors is overhead door protectors. Sometimes called goalposts, overhead door protectors are versatile door guards that protect your doors from being broken or damaged when accidents occur.

As door repairs are incredibly expensive nowadays, you must take every measure to ensure the safety and security of your warehouse doors. Installing overhead door protectors save you repair costs in the long run. They also ensure that operations will proceed as scheduled, even if forklift accidents happen, and improve the safety and  efficiency of your facility.

Types of doors compatible with overhead door protectors

Types of doors compatible with overhead door protectors

You may ask: are there specific types of doors that are not compatible with overhead door protectors? The answer to this is, ‘no’. You can use overhead door protectors with any door, regardless if it’s a door inside the warehouse, your garage, or on any property you have.

However, while installing overhead door protectors everywhere might give you peace of mind, it’s not exactly ideal to install them just anywhere. For example, having a goalpost in front of your house is not recommended, as it would destroy the aesthetic of your house. This logic also applies to lobbies and front doors of big establishments like hotels, churches, and the like.

When installing overhead door protectors, the crucial thing to understand is where it is appropriate to do so. Here are some of the doors that are most compatible with overhead door protectors:

·  Overhead Doors

An overhead door is a type of door that rotates and is supported horizontally when opened. A special torsion spring system is installed above the opening and attached to the bottom corners of the door. Overhead door protectors are installed in front of overhead doors. In case accidents happen with a vehicle, a damaged overhead door will be less likely.

·  High-Speed Doors

This door system is utilised mainly in industrial applications. It is a technical enhancement added to doors like roller shutters and PVC fabric doors to provide a faster-operating speed without sacrificing durability.

Installing this type of door technology also makes it possible for this door system to have multiple cycles and require lower maintenance. Since high-speed door installation and maintenance isn’t cheap, it’s essential to shield such types of doors with safety mechanisms like overhead door protectors.

·  Dock Doors

Dock doors are the openings you find outside a building located in the loading dock area. Efficiency is of utmost importance in loading docks, especially since you also have to take into consideration the humidity and ambient temperature of the room to preserve the quality of the product. The speed in which these doors are controlled needs to be fast.

Some of types of dock doors include high-speed doors, rolling doors, sectional doors, and knock-out doors. An overhead door protector will safeguard all types of dock door effectively and prevent problems like damaged or spoilt merchandise in case accidents happen.

·  Freezer / Refrigeration Doors

Just like dock doors, freezer/refrigeration doors need to be maintained and protected at all times to prevent the cost of damaged and spoilt products. Most of the items stored behind these types of doors are those that need to be transferred immediately to avoid quality degradation. So they must be maintained and taken care of at all times.

Having an overhead door protector ensures that even if forklift accidents happen as you transfer your items, there won’t be massive damage to your doors. You won’t need to pay for the repair costs, and you can make sure that your products remain as fresh as possible.

Apart from doors, overhead door protectors can also safeguard warehouse spaces like aisles, among others.

Benefits of using overhead door protectors

By now, you’ve probably realised just how effective and essential overhead door protectors are. This is especially true if you’re working in a high-speed and high-efficiency workplace like warehouses and industrial facilities.

To help you understand just how helpful overhead door protectors are, here are some of the benefits you’ll get when you have them installed:

·  Reduced maintenance costs.

There are two levels to the benefit of installing overhead door protectors when it comes to maintenance costs.

Firstly, the presence of overhead door protectors will minimise the number of times you need to have work done to maintain and repair your doors due to the damage that mishaps like forklift accidents usually cause.

Second, you won’t need to maintain overhead door protectors often, since they can withstand such accidents. Only significant and high-impact accidents will significantly damage overhead door protectors. Normal wear and tear and occasional knocks won’t do much against overhead door protectors.

·  Free flow of traffic

Of course, the safety mechanisms you install in your facility shouldn’t compromise the efficiency of your operations. An overhead door protector won’t interfere with your regular door traffic, as there are multiple sizes fitted for doors of various types.

While these are in front of your facilities’ doors, they do not make the pathway tighter or the vertical clearance lower. A good overhead door protector will be compatible with the type of door and walkway you have. That means it will not obstruct your facilities’ efficiency.

·  Choice of removable or permanent versions

You are probably curious: are overhead door protectors permanent, or can they be removed whenever necessary? The answer is both. If you aren’t changing your door for the foreseeable future, installing a permanent overhead door protector is ideal as it is stronger and more durable.

However, that doesn’t mean that removable versions are not effective. They can still withstand the impact of frequent accidents in the warehouse. Moreover, you have the added benefit of moving them when needed if you want to use them for multiple door openings in different periods.

·  Temperature resistance

In industrial facilities and warehouses, maintaining a specific temperature is often necessary. If the average temperature isn’t managed well, there’s a possibility that the items and products they are producing and storing will spoil, get damaged, and be left unused. While protecting these items thermally, the safety mechanisms installed must be able to withstand such temperatures.

Overhead door protectors are designed with these considerations in mind. That is the reason why most models you see will probably be able to last for a long time regardless of the temperature they’re in. There will be minimal material degradation if you purchase a good-quality overhead door protector, so make sure that you invest in a good one.

These are just some of the benefits that you’ll get to enjoy when you use overhead door protectors in your warehouse. You will not only enjoy a more efficient facility, but you’ll also get to have a safety structure that will last for an extended time.

Types of overhead door protectors

Types of overhead door protectors

Here at Verge Safety Barriers, we understand just how important it is to find the right type of barrier fit with your door type. That is the reason why we offer two main types of overhead door protectors:

·  Overhead Door Protector with Warning Bar

Verge Safety Barriers offers an overhead door protector with a warning bar. Here are the features and components of an overhead door protector with warning bar:

  • Features
    • Overhead door protectors with warning bar (optional)
    • 125mm x 125mm x 4mm mild steel post and beam, 75mm Ø warning bar.
    • Overall height: 3.6m – 4,5m
    • Overall width: 2.7m – 3.5m
    • Finish: powder-coated yellow
  • Components
    • 125mm x 125mm x 4mm posts x 2
    • 125mm x 125mm x 4mm rail x 2
    • 75mm Ø warning bar complete with chain (optional)
    • Masonry fixings

·  Standard Overhead Door Protector

We also provide a standard version of an overhead door protector. Here are its features and components:

  • Features
    • Overhead door protector without warning bar
    • 125mm x 125mm x 4mm mild steel post and beam.
    • Overall height: 3.6m – 4,5m
    • Overall width: 2.7m – 3.5m
    • Finish: powder-coated yellow
  • Components
    • 125mm x 125mm x 4mm posts x 2
    • 125mm x 125mm x 4mm rail x 2
    • Masonry fixings

If you want to make sure that you get the right fit for the type of door you have, you can approach Verge Safety Barriers and ask for recommendations.

Get your overhead door protector from Verge Safety Barriers now

Get your overhead door protector from Verge Safety Barriers now

You need a dependable and trustworthy partner when it comes to safeguarding your property. Industrial facilities like warehouses and loading docks need to be efficient at all times, so it’s no surprise that installing structures like overhead door protectors is necessary.

If you want to find a high-quality overhead door protector for your facility, Verge Safety Barriers would be the right company to approach. We make it a mission to create solutions for a safe and efficient working environment, and your satisfaction is our measure of success. We cater to businesses like DHL, Caterpillar, Australia Post, and Woolworths, among others.

Our overhead door protectors are compatible with many facilities, including but not limited to loading docks, hospitals, production areas, food and wine industries, shopping centre car parks, and warehouses. We’ll make sure to install the overhead door protector compatible with the type of property you have. We can likewise recommend other safety mechanisms that you can install together with our door protector.

Your efficiency and safety are our top priorities. Let Verge Safety Barriers help you find a balance between both now! For enquiries, contact us at sales@vergesafetybarriers.com.au or call us at 1800 765 539.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

WAIT!

Before you go, check out this video.

If you need assistance with selecting a product, would like a quote or want to ask a question please call our friendly team on 1800 765 539

Download Brochure

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.