What is Machine Perimeter Fencing?

Machine perimeter fencing is a physical safety barrier comprised of wire mesh panels erected around warehouse or industrial facility machine areas. It limits access to authorized personnel only, enhancing security and preventing accidents, theft, and potential injuries. 

Machine perimeter guarding is a type of wire partition, often accompanied by access control measures, and can be integrated with surveillance systems for better monitoring and deterrence.

Machine perimeter fencing plays a vital role in upholding order and safety within warehouse settings. It implements robust barriers around machinery and equipment, establishing work areas, walkways, and boundaries. 

By implementing perimeter fencing, warehouses can enhance workplace safety, mitigate the likelihood of accidents, and cultivate an environment that fosters higher productivity in the long run.

Machine perimeter fencing

Benefits of Machine Perimeter Fencing

Safety

The heavy welded wire mesh of machine fencing creates a safety barrier between heavy machinery and warehouse personnel. This barrier keeps unauthorized personnel away from hazardous machine areas and helps prevent accidents and injuries.

Today’s working conditions in developed nations are relatively safe compared to those in the past. During the past two centuries, improvements in technology, regulatory measures, and organized efforts to improve workplace safety have cut workplace injuries and deaths to a tiny fraction of what they used to be. Workplace fatalities dropped from 61 per 100,000 in 1913 to 3.4 per 100,000 in 2015. From 1992 to 2010, there was an average annual decrease in machine-related deaths of 2.8%.

Unsafe warehouse with no machine perimeter fencing
This scene from the early 1900s probably wouldn't be OSHA approved today.

Regulatory Compliance

Many industries have specific regulations and safety standards that need to be adhered to. Machine perimeter fencing can help warehouses comply with OSHA/ANSI regulations by providing controlled access to machine areas, ensuring that only authorized personnel are allowed entry.

Machine guarding isn’t just a recommended add-on for warehouses with machinery areas; it’s an OSHA requirement. As part of their ongoing effort to reduce machinery-related injuries and deaths in the workplace, OSHA requires machinery areas in warehouses to be enclosed by appropriate safety fencing. Like or dislike, machine perimeter fencing is legally required in warehouse machinery areas, and failure to comply may result in stiff penalties and fines. The potential cost of OSHA penalties or harm to personnel will put any of the inconvenience of machine perimeter fencing into perspective for most warehouse managers.

Asset Protection

Machines and equipment in a warehouse are valuable assets. Fencing helps protect these assets from damage, theft, or unauthorized use. It acts as a deterrent and provides an additional layer of defense against potential losses.

Organization and Efficiency

Fencing helps establish designated areas within the warehouse, creating a clear distinction between machine zones and other operational areas. This promotes better organization and workflow efficiency by ensuring that machines are not obstructed by unrelated activities or clutter.

Surveillance Enhancement

Industrial safety fencing can be integrated with surveillance systems such as CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras, motion sensors, or alarms. This integration enhances the overall security infrastructure, enabling better monitoring and detection of potential security breaches.

WPRP Machine Perimeter Fencing Manufacturers

Find machine perimeter fencing from quality wire manufacturers through WPRP. See the manufacturers we partner with below:

Shop Folding Guard
Shop SpaceGuard
Shop WireCrafters
Shop Husky Rack and Wire

Level Up Warehouse Operations With Machine Perimeter Fencing

Machine perimeter fencing serves as a visual reminder of the boundaries and limitations within the warehouse. This helps to establish a sense of order and protection among employees, encouraging them to adhere to designated work areas and traffic zones. It minimizes the chances of accidental collisions or disruptions by providing clear demarcations for different activities.

By setting clear boundaries, machine perimeter fencing facilitates smooth workflow, reduces interruptions, and promotes a culture of safety and professionalism within the warehouse.

Machine guarding systems offer significant safety benefits that we cannot overlook. By implementing a physical barrier around machinery and equipment, businesses can prevent unauthorized access, reduce the risk of accidents, and protect employees and visitors from potential harm. 

Machine perimeter fencing is a visual reminder of potential dangers and helps create a safer work environment overall. Investing in machine perimeter fencing is a proactive and responsible step that every business should consider when facing industrial machinery’s potential hazards and liabilities. By prioritizing safety and implementing proper physical barriers, we can ensure everyone involved has a secure and protected workplace.

Machine Guard Fencing Features and Specs

Machine perimeter guarding, such as the Saf-T-Fence from Folding Guard, is often sold as modular units to provide flexibility in terms of design and area coverage. If needs change, the individual components can be switched around, added, or subtracted.

A variety of locking options and door styles allow warehouse operators to hand-pick the components that work best for their applications. Considering the stakes (safety, well-being, employee morale, OSHA penalties), safety fencing is a cost-effective solution that won’t crush the company’s bottom line. Made from high-strength materials, machine safety fencing is not a recurring cost but a stable long-term safety investment.

Woman working with heavy machinery

When to Use Machine Guarding

  • When a workplace has exposed machinery that does not meet OSHA machine guarding requirements.
  • When dangerous equipment is present and exposed to warehouse personnel.
  • If your client has recently experienced or wants to prevent workplace injuries.
  • If your client is seeking a fast, affordable machine safety solution.

Find Machine Perimeter Fencing at WPRP

As a matter of good practice, machine perimeter fencing should be high on the list of things to check for when doing a walk-through of a client’s warehouse. If a warehouse machinery area lacks the required fencing, the owners of the operation could face serious penalties and are at higher risk of lost time and injuries. Machine guarding is a simple value add for clients already planning to install pallet racks and safety products.

Ready to help enhance safety, organization, and productivity in your client’s warehouse? Upgrade material handling operations with one of our top-of-line machine perimeter fencing solutions. Contact a WPRP team member today! Call 888-578-1579, or fill out our quote request form to get started.