KRAUSE offers a wide range of ladders, folding steps, platform solutions, mobile scaffolding, shelf ladders, crossovers and customised solutions. The focus is not only on reaching a specific working height, but also on the safe integration of the chosen access solution into the specific work process. For users, this means: short distances, a secure footing, ergonomic working and a solution that suits the actual task at hand.
Requirements in the warehouse: frequent use, changing locations, clear responsibilities
In practice, access technology products is often used several times a day in warehouses. Staff retrieve items from higher shelves, carry out visual inspections, operate plant components, clean hard-to-reach areas, or access maintenance points on conveyor systems and packaging equipment. The requirements vary significantly in each case. An occasional visual inspection of a shelf requires a different solution to regular order picking over a longer period or working at an elevated machine access point.
A comprehensive risk assessment is therefore crucial for managers and safety officers. The Industrial Safety Regulation obliges employers to provide suitable work equipment and to ensure its safe use. TRBS 2121 Part 2 specifies these requirements for the use of ladders and is particularly relevant when portable ladders are used as access points or workstations. DGUV Information 208-016 also points out that when selecting a ladder, the specific activity and the risk of falling must be assessed. In the event of increased risk, safer work equipment may be required, such as a platform ladder, a platform solution, a mobile scaffold or a fixed access point.
The right solution for every job
For simple, short-term tasks, step ladders, platform ladders or folding steps can be a suitable solution. The decisive factor here is not so much the working height itself, but the specific application: is it just a quick check, are goods being retrieved, or is work to be carried out using tools and materials? Depending on the task, the requirements regarding floor space, freedom of movement, ergonomics and safety vary significantly. KRAUSE therefore supports commercial users in selecting suitable access solutions and offers a wide range for various applications, from mobile folding steps to mobile platform or shelf ladders.
A typical example from warehouse practice is the picking of spare parts in a high-bay warehouse where the access heights change regularly. If staff are provided only with a simple leaning ladder, moving around, positioning themselves and working whilst carrying goods can quickly become a strain. A mobile platform ladder or a shelf ladder with a rail system is the safer and more efficient solution here. KRAUSE shelf ladders are available as clip-on solutions or as mobile ladders with a rail system and enable quick, comfortable and safe access to shelf levels.
Crossovers and platforms for safe passage over conveyor systems
In modern logistics centres, transport and conveyor belts often run right through work areas. Whilst they shorten material flows, they can also interrupt walking routes. If staff improvise ways to cross them or accept detours, this leads to safety and efficiency issues. Fixed or mobile crossovers from KRAUSE create defined traffic routes and enable staff to cross obstacles safely.
A practical example is a packaging line where staff regularly have to move between goods-in, the packing area and the dispatch area. Without a suitable crossover, staff must either walk all the way round the entire facility or take unsafe shortcuts. A precisely tailored crossover with slip-resistant steps, a sufficiently sized platform and handrails on both sides can shorten walking distances whilst reducing the risk of tripping, falling or being crushed. This is particularly relevant for process planners and operations managers, as good planning ensures that health and safety and productivity support rather than contradict one another.
Customised solutions for facilities, vehicles and maintenance areas
Not every logistics application can be optimally addressed with standard products. In transhipment halls, workshop areas, loading zones or automated warehouses, for example, access points often need to be precisely adapted to machinery, vehicles, containers or structural conditions. KRAUSE develops customised solutions for this purpose, taking into account the working height, access situation, frequency of use, space constraints and safety requirements.
In a workplace where maintenance work is regularly carried out on equipment located at height, a custom-designed work platform can, for example, ensure that workers can safely set down tools, work with both hands, and carry out their tasks whilst standing firmly. Customised platforms and work platforms can also improve safety during the maintenance of industrial trucks, commercial vehicles or conveyor systems. At the same time, downtime can be reduced, as maintenance points can be accessed more quickly, safely and consistently.
Safety, ergonomics and sustainability working in harmony
Professional access technology does more than just help ensure compliance with legal requirements. It also has an impact on ergonomics, work quality and sustainability. When you stand securely, you can work with greater concentration. When you use a suitable platform, you have less need to improvise. Those who work with durable aluminium structures reduce the need for replacements and benefit from robust solutions designed for long-term use. KRAUSE places great emphasis on high quality, load-bearing capacity and durability in its products, as well as safety tests in its in-house laboratory and additional material and TÜV tests.
Sustainability is also evident in very practical terms in day-to-day warehouse operations. Paperless inspection processes, traceable documentation, durable products and the selection of work equipment tailored to specific needs can conserve resources whilst improving operational safety. It is crucial that access technology is not procured in isolation, but as part of an overall concept encompassing occupational health and safety, process design and maintenance.
Inspection and training as part of safe use
The responsibilities of safety officers, occupational safety specialists and “authorised persons” do not end with the purchase of equipment. Ladders, folding steps, platforms and mobile work equipment must be inspected regularly. The scope and frequency of these inspections are determined by the risk assessment, the frequency of use and the operational conditions. Structured inspection is particularly important in the warehouse and logistics sector, where equipment is subject to heavy use, has changing users and operates under tight time constraints.
KRAUSE supports companies not only with suitable products, but also, where required, with inspection and training services. These include seminars on “authorised persons” as well as practical support in the safe selection and use of access technology. On request, experienced KRAUSE inspectors can also carry out regular inspections of existing access technology directly on-site at the company. In doing so, they support a standards-compliant and comprehensively documented assessment of the work equipment in use. In addition, the digital solution from wosatec can help to organise inspection processes more efficiently, manage work equipment centrally, keep track of inspection deadlines and handle documentation paperlessly. This creates an additional benefit for businesses: employees are made aware of the issue, inspectors gain confidence in their actions and those responsible can better fulfil their documentation and operator obligations.
Safe platforms create stable processes
Warehouse and logistics areas only function reliably when people, goods and work equipment interact safely. KRAUSE access technology makes an important contribution to this, as it makes workplaces at height accessible, creates access routes over obstacles and makes maintenance and order-picking processes safer. Whether it’s a shelf ladder, platform ladder, crossover, mobile scaffold or customised solution: the key is finding the right solution for the task at hand.
For users, this means greater safety in day-to-day operations. Managers and inspectors benefit from equipment that complies with standards, is verifiable and built to last. Decision-makers and planners receive solutions that can be integrated into existing processes and combine efficiency, occupational safety and sustainability.