Post Protection

The primary difference is the shape and the specific part of the racking they are designed to protect.

Column Guards (U-Shaped): These are designed to wrap around the front and both sides of an upright. They are typically used for “mid-row” columns that are at risk of being bumped by forklifts traveling straight down an aisle.

Corner Guards (L-Shaped): These are designed to shield the front and the exposed outer side of the upright. They are primarily used at the ends of racking rows or near intersections and walkways where forklifts are frequently turning.

No, floor fixings are not included. Column and corner guards require concrete floor anchors to ensure they stay in place during an impact. While we supply the guards as standalone units we recommend using high quality screw anchors or sleeve anchors to secure the base plates to the concrete slab.

This depends on your environment. Our safety orange powder coated guards are the industry standard for indoor warehouses because the high-visibility colour alerts forklift operators to the a position. However if your racking is located in a cold storage facility a chemical environment or an outdoor loading dock we recommend hot-dipped galvanised (HDG) guards for superior corrosion resistance.

Yes. Our column and corner guards are universally designed. Because they anchor directly to the floor just in front of the rack, they are compatible with APEX 90mm uprights as well as most other standard pallet racking brands used across Australia.

While they don’t block the pallets entirely, they do reduce your side-to-side entry clearance. Because column guards anchor directly in front of the uprights, they protrude into the bay opening by approximately 40mm to 50mm on each side.

For example, on a standard 2591mm wide beam level, installing a column guard on both uprights will reduce your total net entry clearance by up to 100mm. If you are storing standard Australian pallets (1165mm wide), this leaves a much tighter margin for error for your forklift operators. If clearance is a concern, upgrading to a longer beam level, such as our 2743mm beams, is an excellent option to regain that critical operating space.

If a guard is severely dented, cracked, or has sheared its floor anchors during a collision, it has done its job. It should be inspected immediately to ensure no force bypassed it to damage the upright. Damaged guards should be unbolted and replaced promptly to ensure continuous protection for the next potential impact.