Where Do You Need Column Protectors?

Corner Column Protectors: An Essential Safety Solution

Corner column protectors are one of the simplest pieces of safety equipment you can implement in your place of business. They are incredibly valuable to establishments like factories, warehouses, and even parking garages, allowing you to safeguard the structural elements of your facility and promote continuity.

Be that as it may, you don't need to cover every pillar with a wall of shielding. In fact, that would only prove wasteful and inefficient. Instead, you should focus on high-risk areas and implement corner column protectors around pillars in those sections of your facility. If you're not sure where to begin, below are some simple tips for identifying where to install protectors.

What Are Corner Column Protectors?

Corner column protectors are safety devices designed to shield the edges of structural columns from damage caused by impacts. You can find these protectors in several different materials, including rubber or plastic, but the most robust options are made from steel. They absorb and disperse the force of a collision, preventing damage to the column and reducing the severity of harm suffered by your equipment.

7 Tips to Determine Where You Need Corner Column Protectors

Identify High-Traffic Areas

Focus on the busiest areas of your facility. These are the zones in which your team constantly passes through aboard forklifts, trucks, pallet jacks, or other such equipment. If you have passageways or hallways that feel as busy as an interstate, you need to do whatever you can to protect the columns in the area with protective shielding. The more activity an area sees, the higher the risk of an accidental collision.

Start by walking through your facility and making note of the busiest pathways. Pay special attention to loading docks and entry-exit points. Intersections are another hot-spot that requires your attention.

Examine Tight Spaces and Narrow Aisles

Tight spaces can be particularly challenging to navigate for operators of heavy machinery. If your team members are working in narrow aisles, they have a reduced margin for error. Even a small misstep could lead to a major incident that damages your columns or, worse, injures your workers.

If your facility has particularly narrow aisles or tight corners, these are areas that would benefit from corner column guards. By installing protectors, you're adding a layer of security that can prevent accidents and subsequent damage to both the columns and the equipment.

At the same time, though, you want to be careful not to make already tight passages even more difficult to move through. Choose the appropriate size of protectors so you can give your team as much room as possible to pass through.

Identify Areas With Lots of Turns

Columns located near sharp turns or curves are more vulnerable to damage. Any time one of your drivers has to make a tight turn, there's a chance they will misjudge the distance and brush up against a pillar.

Take note of any areas in your facility where vehicles frequently have to make these turns and install corner column protectors along the curved pathway to reduce the risk of structural damage.

Consider the Proximity to Equipment and Workstations

Columns located near workstations, shelves, or equipment are at an increased risk of damage. Corner column protectors, in these circumstances, help protect the structural integrity of your facility and keep workers safe. You may even prevent damage to valuable equipment.

Just be mindful of the height of your protectors, making sure they are tall enough to provide adequate coverage of your columns. Most barriers are available in 12”, 18”, and 24” heights. Choose the dimensions that best align with your workspace.

Look for Signs of Damage

One of the best ways to determine where to install columns involves looking for signs of damage. You can also browse through your incident reports to identify any situations where your employees have hit a column. And if you notice that a particular area is constantly involved in column-related crashes, it's safe to assume you need to install some protectors there.

Make a note of the height and location of the damage, too. Most column protectors feature a semi-circle design and are meant to be installed on the outer edge of a pillar. There's no need to install protectors on both sides of a column if only one side keeps getting struck.

Evaluate Parking Areas and Garages

Parking lots are prime locations for corner column protectors. Vehicles navigating in and out of parking spaces are prone to scraping or hitting columns, especially in underground or multi-level parking garages where visibility is limited.

Even a minor collision can cause substantial damage to both the vehicle and the columns involved. Therefore, while steel protectors are the best choice for most industrial applications, you may want to go with rubber shields in parking areas, as they are more flexible and less likely to cause major damage to vehicles.

Pinpoint Areas With Heavy Machinery

Heavy equipment, like lifts and cranes, poses a major risk of structural damage to your building. If just one of these pieces of machinery hits a column, the results could be catastrophic.

As such, if you have areas where employees frequently operate heavy equipment, consider adding corner column guards. Make sure that you use durable steel shields that can hold up against the force your heavy equipment generates. Unlike parking garages, rubber or plastic protectors won't cut it here. You'll also want to choose guards that are durable and bolted to the floor to ensure they can withstand big impacts.

Do You Need Corner Column Protectors?

The use of corner column protectors may not have crossed your mind, but the answer to this question is yes. They are valuable pieces of safety equipment that every industrial facility should take advantage of.

Use the tips above to decide when, where, and how to deploy protective shields around your posts and columns. A proactive approach can help prevent facility damage and decrease the risk of operational disruptions.