ABN Safety Package

ASG Services Ltd was approached by ABN a division of AB Agri Ltd to

provide advice on increasing the general safety around a medium sized

warehouse within their site in Bury St Edmunds.

ABN is the leading British manufacturer of pig and poultry compound feed

providing both products and complementary solutions to the pig and poultry

livestock industries.

The warehouse is 2,400 sq metres and is used to store pallets of animal feed

on the floor. 4 people work within the area and it is one of the main pedestrian

routes to the process and bulk loading area. Operating 3 Fork Lift trucks the

warehouse covers two operations for the Bury mill. The first is that they weigh

up all the ingredients for the main production process and second they turn

the bulk finished product in to 25kg bags which are stacked onto a pallet up to

a max weight of 1000kg. In the height of the game season the warehouse will

hold 900 tonnes of packed animal feed.

ASG Services were called in as health & safety is a top priority within ABN.

ABN have invested in its people and manufacturing facilitates to continually

improve the working environment. The warehouse is the main delivery point

for all heavy goods vehicles delivering raw materials in bags and also the

loading point for ABN own brand of finished product. In addition local farmers

collect animal feed in bags.

ASG were able to review with ABN the work place transport in this area to

control the traffic and give pedestrians a clear walkway. Two meetings were

held to start the project off after which ASG Services were able to give a clear

drawing of what was proposed as the best option without loosing valuable

warehouse space and covering all safety needs.

The movements of the pallets can be fast and ABN was very much aware of

the HSE’s guidance to segregate personnel from the mechanical handling

equipment.

In additional to internal issues the company highlighted the additional need to

provide safe walking zones outside the warehouse.

The company had highlighted key issues that would require attention.

We specified, supplied and installed the following:

painted green to identify a

safe zone with a hand rail to

segregate the personnel.

painted in yellow to identify

the walkway.

painted red to identify a

danger zone including a self

adhesive floor graphic to

warn of fork lift trucks

operating within the area.

created to provide safe

passage in front of the

warehouse doors.

the danger area.

exit hatch to clearly mark

the fire exit doors.

stock.

provide safe walking zones.

The Installation was carried out by ASG Services following submission of

complete risk assessment and method statements and working with the client

on site inductions and work permits. A drawing was provided to show the

safety features to be installed.

Simon Bishop operations manager at ABN Bury St Edmunds commented –

“ASG worked with us to minimise the downtime and interruption in this area

whilst the project was being carried out, the work ASG completed was to a

high standard and we were very pleased with the end result, I get concerned

using a company that I have never used before, but ASG services were

professional throughout the whole project.”