Project Award – Pallet Gate Safety Integration for Leading Global Packaging Manufacturer

Pallet Gate Safety Integration for Leading Global Packaging Manufacturer

FAIRFIELDS has been awarded a project to deliver a safety-focused pallet gate integration for the UK manufacturing facility of a leading global manufacturer of innovative plastic packaging solutions.

The project forms part of a new mezzanine installation and addresses the critical interface between forklift movements and personnel access during pallet transfers between ground and mezzanine levels. The system will ensure personnel are prevented from accessing the pallet transfer area until the forklift has withdrawn and the area is safe.

Safety is central to the project. FAIRFIELDS’ TÜV-qualified Functional Safety Engineers will support the design through a formal Design Risk Assessment, applying machinery safety principles including ISO 12100 and ISO 13849 – Safety of machinery: Safety-related parts of control systems. FAIRFIELDS has seven TÜV-qualified Functional Safety Engineers with expertise across ISO 13849, IEC 61508 and IEC 62061.

The engineered solution will combine a mechanically interlocked pallet gate with Fortress trapped-key interlocking, safety fencing and an interlocked personnel access gate. The key-transfer sequence is designed to prevent personnel access until the pallet gate has been secured against forklift access, providing robust physical segregation between operators and material-handling equipment.

FAIRFIELDS’ scope covers the Design Risk Assessment, safety engineering, design coordination, FAT and SAT documentation, installation integration, commissioning and formal acceptance, providing a structured approach to risk reduction from initial design through to the completed installation.