Client: Seeka
Location: Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Seeka’s Bay of Plenty site is the largest post-harvest kiwifruit pack house and cool store facility among its 12+ locations across New Zealand.
As a large-scale, quality-driven supply service with over 3,000 seasonal workers, maintaining smooth and efficient operations while protecting people and assets is crucial in the day-to-day operation of the site.
Challenge
Existing steel barrier systems required expensive maintenance due to the impact of vehicle and material handling equipment (MHE). A need for strong, physical barriers that separate pedestrians and MHE.
Solution
Due to the likelihood of continual vehicle impact and a desire to reduce ongoing maintenance costs, Vanguard recommended a flexible (energy absorbing) barrier system instead of steel. At the time, this was d-flexx Mono Plus Barrier system (since superseded by the Boplan TB 400 Plus Barrier system).
The key features of the d-flexx Mono Plus Barrier system:
- Absorbs energy on impact, then returns to its original shape
- Made from a flexible, impact-resistant PE polymer
- 100% recyclable, UV-resistant and suitable for indoor and outdoor use
- Stops 5T at 6.8km/h
- PAS13 compliant, impact tested against forklifts and other MHE
- Tested and certified by German TÜV NORD (DIN EN 1512) to exceed AS/NZ 1170.1:2002
- Can be used in temperature ranges from -40° up to + 50°
Outcome
By replacing high-maintenance steel barriers with the d-flexx Mono Plus system, Seeka reduced ongoing repair costs while strengthening pedestrian and MHE separation and protection. The flexible polymer barriers absorb impact when hit, create clear walkway demarcation, and result in fewer interruptions to operations, leading to significant cost savings.
The Bay of Plenty site now features a durable, compliant barrier system that is better suited to the daily demands of a high-volume pack and cold store operation.
Download the full case study here.
