SafeRack Project Profile: Automotive Assembly Plant in the Mid-West
A North American automotive assembly plant located in the Mid-West reached out to SafeRack late last year to find a safer alternative to their operators climbing up the sides of tank trucks. This complex not only assembled vehicles but also had a paint department where they prepped, primed, and painted various components.
Project Challenge
The customer was bottom unloading approximately 3 to 5 trailers per day of acrylic polyurethane “enamel” and clear topcoat resins via hoses. However, they still needed to access the tops of trailers to check seals and take samples. The existing method of operators climbing up the sides of tank trucks posed significant safety risks and inefficiencies.
SafeRack’s Solution
SafeRack’s ultimate solution included a platform and stair unit, an SAS self-adjusting stair access gangway, and a fall prevention safety cage. This solution provided the following benefits:
- Platform & Stair Unit: Ensured stable and secure access to the tops of the trailers.
- SAS Self-Adjusting Stair Access Gangway: Allowed operators to safely and easily reach the trailer tops.
- Fall Prevention Safety Cage: Provided an extra layer of safety, fully encapsulating the worker and preventing falls.
Impact on Operations
“A paint shop is one of the most critical and often most expensive stages in the assembly process. It is the one area where you can’t afford any downtime. A vehicle’s paint is often the first thing a customer notices and must look flawless.”
SafeRack’s solution not only enhanced the safety of the operators but also ensured the paint shop could maintain continuous operation without the risk of accidents or delays due to unsafe access methods. This allowed the automotive assembly plant to uphold the highest standards of quality and efficiency in their paint department.
