A lot goes into protecting your walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer. Far too often, however, companies pay too much attention to maintenance of the walk-in components themselves, rather than safeguarding the environment in which they are placed. From a runaway pallet jack to an ill-aimed forklift driven by an employee, your walk-in can sustain significant damage in a single moment. To explain how easy it is to protect your walk-in from wayward forklifts or other dangers, KPS Global® has put together a list of best practices for reducing damage to your cooler.
Protecting Your Walk-In with Diamond Plating: High-Impact Protection
While metal kickplates are always a good idea, warehouse managers often turn to diamond plate, also known as wainscoting, to protect their walk-ins. This plating is far sturdier than the galvanized metal panels integrated into the walk-in cooler itself, and can be installed onto the walk-in panels themselves in order to prevent as much damage as possible. Diamond plate is also corrosion resistant, extending use for years even in non-controlled environments. And finally, for warehouses or areas in which sanitation is a key priority, installing wainscoting means you have a protective option for your walk-in that is easily cleaned when needed. While alternatives like curbs can certainly alleviate damage potential, they may not be high enough to stop some equipment. Diamond plating is installed directly on the panels themselves, and therefore, can act as a last line of defense against accidents.
Protecting Your Walk-In with Bollards: Post Protection That Can Save the Day
Because walk-in doors run the risk of being damaged by warehouse transportation tools, proper protection is essential to avoid costly repairs or a complete replacement. One of the best options available is installing bollards. For warehouse and stockroom locations, bollards go a long way towards reducing the damage from pallet jacks or forklifts that would otherwise directly impact walk-in doors. Further, bollards are also effective in outdoor environments. If your cooler sits outside in a heavily trafficked area, placing bollards in critical surrounding areas can protect your walk-in, preventing unnecessary damage from vehicles or delivery tools.
Protecting Your Walk-In with Curbs: Curbing Your Risk
Finally, concrete curbs can be a valuable defense against stray carts or low-level pallet jacks. While not as aesthetically pleasing as diamond plate, curbs provide effective, easily-navigable protection for your walk-in without taking up too much space. However, if you’re looking for something stronger than concrete minus the space requirements of bollards or plating, an alternative might be molded steel bumpers. These can also be placed around the perimeter of your walk-in, offering higher resiliency and durability than concrete.
KPS Global has a long history of providing custom walk-in solutions to clients across a wide range of industries. What sets us apart from our competitors, however, is a commitment to high-quality customer service. If you have a walk-in but are worried about damage risks, our experts are happy to provide advice on the best protective solutions available so that you can develop a plan that meets your specific needs. To learn more about how easy it is to protect your walk-in, or to see what makes KPS Global a leader in custom walk-in solutions, visit kpsglobal.com today!
