Co-Operative Warehouse

Installation of safety barriers and balustrading to protect loading bays, warehouse racking and pedestrian walkways.

Client

Clegg Special Projects

Location

Birtley, County Durham

Berry Systems installed a comprehensive range of safety barriers and balustrading at the new Co-Operative Composite Distribution Centre in Birtley. Spanning 25,600 square metres (276,000 square feet), this facility supplies a diverse range of products from 3,500 lines to 262 Co-Operative stores across the North of England.

With hundreds of vehicle movements and over 500 staff members daily, the centre is a hub of constant activity.

Berry Systems was contracted to supply and install all safety barriers, balustrades, loading bay barriers, and racking protectors inside the warehouse, as well as vehicle perimeter and ramp barriers externally.

Products installed included Armco Barrier Rail, Column Protection Units, Integral Handrail, Rack End Protectors, Site-Cop Speed Restraints, Heavy Duty Handrail, Height Restrictors, GH Buffers, Bollards, and Wheel Guides.

Most products, except for the galvanised steel barriers, were painted in high-visibility yellow for enhanced safety. The spring steel barriers are designed to absorb impacts from heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and forklift trucks, ensuring continued structural integrity and performance after collisions.

In terms of sustainability, the Co-Op is committed to making the facility environmentally friendly.

Waste oil is used for heating, and the lighting system is solar-controlled to reduce energy consumption by adjusting automatically to complement external light levels.