Pallet Gate

Where Pallet Gates Are Used

Pallet gates are typically installed at:

• Mezzanine floor edges
• Raised warehouse platforms
• Production line loading points
• Storage racking aisles
• Loading docks above ground level
• Conveyor feed and discharge points

They are essential wherever goods are moved between different floor levels using mechanical handling equipment.

Why They Are Used

• To eliminate fall hazards from elevated edges
• To protect operatives during loading and unloading
• To ensure compliance with UK health and safety legislation
• To allow continuous pallet handling without manual guarding
• To reduce the likelihood of dropped loads and workplace accidents

Benefits of a 4 Metre Wide Pallet Gate

While standard pallet gates typically range from 1.5 m to 3.0 m wide, a 4 m wide pallet gate provides significant operational advantages for high-throughput environments:

1: Handles Oversized Loads: Accommodates long, bulky or multiple pallets in a single transfer.

2: Improves Forklift Manoeuvrability: Reduces the need for precise positioning, lowering collision risk.

3: Increases Throughput: Allows wider loads to be moved in fewer cycles.

4: Future-Proofs the Installation: Supports growth in pallet size, stillage formats or packaging changes.

5: Reduces Structural Bottlenecks: Prevents congestion at mezzanine loading points.

Key Pallet Gate Design and Installation Considerations

Before installing a pallet gate, the following technical factors must be assessed:

1. Opening Width and Load Size: The gate must exceed the maximum pallet or stillage width, including forklift fork clearance.
2. Load Weight and Frequency: Ensure the frame, pivots and counterbalance system are rated for the maximum static and dynamic loads.
3. Floor and Structural Fixing:
   • Concrete slab thickness and anchor type
   • Mezzanine beam load capacity
   • Base plate fixing points and shear resistance
4. Counterbalance Mechanism: The gate must move smoothly with minimal effort and lock securely in each position.
5. Edge Protection Integration: Handrails, toe boards and mesh infill may be required to meet BS EN 14122 and HSG76 guidance.
6. Forklift Interface: Check approach clearances, turning radius and fork height to avoid frame impact.

Pallet Gates – Simple Compliance Explanation

Work at Height Regulations & PUWER

If you have a raised edge where pallets are loaded or unloaded, the law requires that people cannot fall from height and that equipment used is safe, suitable, and maintained.

A pallet gate is one of the simplest ways to meet both legal duties.

What the Law Requires (in simple terms)

1. You must stop people falling (Work at Height Regulations)

At any open edge above ground level:

• There must never be an unprotected opening.
• There must always be a physical barrier in place.
• The barrier must be strong enough to stop a person or pallet from falling.

A pallet gate does this by:

• Closing one side automatically when the other opens.
• Ensuring one side is always guarded.

2. The equipment must be safe to use

(PUWER – Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations)

Any pallet gate must:

• Be strong enough for the load.
• Be suitable for the job.
• Be properly installed.
• Be inspected and maintained.
• Only be used by trained staff.

3: What a Compliant Pallet Gate Must Have

To comply with both regulations, your pallet gate should:

• Have two linked sides (so one is always closed).
• Be mechanically interlocked or counterbalanced.
• Have handrails and toe boards.
• Be fixed securely to the floor or mezzanine.
• Be rated for the weight of the pallets used.
• Move smoothly and lock in place.
• Be inspected regularly.