Back in the day, cold storage and refrigeration facilities used to house and run all of their refrigeration lines overhead. But that is a thing of the past as businesses have upgraded and improved their facilities for the refrigeration lines to run through the foundation to limit accidents and ensure the security of the lines. However, just because it’s below-grade doesn’t mean it’s completely safe from potential damage. 

Cold storage facilities and warehouses, like Refrigerated Containers, Cold Rooms, Blast Freezers and Chillers, and Pharmaceutical Grade Cold Storage, are consistently improving and upgrading equipment and protection. It’s common practice and a must-do for any facility owner and manager. But with their most critical asset’s power source running through the ground, installation of equipment and protective guardrail can be tricky. If one of those lines is hit during an install, it can result in a total shutdown of the system, which can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, if not more.

So, what can cold storage facility managers do to limit potential mistakes when adding guardrail to the facility? 

Guardrail is critical throughout cold storage facilities as the overhead and sliding doors that keep the cold rooms sealed are vulnerable to damage from forklifts on a daily basis. No matter how talented and safe the drivers may happen to be, mistakes happen. So, it’s extremely important for the doors and the rest of the facility to be protected. But with most heavy-duty warehouse guardrail needing to be cored into the ground, not just base plated, alterations are necessary. 

That is why Ideal Shield came up with a specially designed pro-set spool that is installed into the ground while laying the foundation.

Ideal Shield’s custom-designed spools

Ideal Shield’s Spools feature two U.S. Steel plates with eight pieces of #4 rebar welded between them. The top plate is 3/4″ thick and 18″ wide with the bottom plate at 1/2″ thick and 12″ wide, with the overall height at 6.25″ tall but with the ability to be altered for custom jobs. The top plate of the system will be placed at grade level during installation as the interior will fill with concrete when the foundation is laid to increase strength.

Thanks to the oversized top plate, there will be some “wiggle room” for workers when they’re installing the guardrail. This design will nearly eliminate any potential installation mistake that could result in drilling into a refrigeration line.  

Ideal Shield’s Heavy Duty Guardrail and Dock Door Goal Posts installed with spools for a cold storage facility

Whether it’s a new build or a renovation to an existing cold storage facility, the installation of reliable guardrail and dock door protection is a must. 

Ideal Shield’s Guardrail is made from US Steel and sleeved in HDPE plastic, making it the strongest in the industry. It also happens to be available in multiple options to protect the most critical assets throughout your facility. That includes Standard Guardrail and Heavy-Duty Guardrail to line the shop floor, Rack System Guardrail for the pallet racks, Dock Door Goal Posts to keep the overhead doors protected from forklift damage, and Safety Wall Guards as the perfect alternative to building foundation walls and protection for high rise storage racks. 

In need of new guardrail for your cold storage facility? Contact the experienced sales team at Ideal Shield today. Our wide array of Industrial Warehouse Guardrail and custom designed spools will help keep your facility up and running all year long.