Refrigerated shipping container depot improves safety

Western Container Services has announced a simple innovation to its Sydney Depot — a multi-level monitoring gantry designed to enhance the safety and efficiency of powering and monitoring its 100+ powered refrigerated shipping container points.

In 2022, the depot expanded its electrical infrastructure, investing in a new 1400-amp electrical substation, which increased its capacity for powered refrigerated shipping container storage. However, the existing solutions for accessing and monitoring these containers, such as ladders, cherry pickers or forklift personnel baskets, were deemed inefficient and potentially hazardous.

Rick Johnson, Western Containers Managing Director, said, “Working at heights has long been a leading cause of workplace fatalities, with falls from ladders contributing significantly to these grim statistics. Our team sought to find a solution that would address both safety concerns and the efficiency of monitoring the containers.”

The solution was to modify 40′ shipping containers to create stackable gantries. The containers feature reinforced side panels with easy-access windows, power points along both sides and a dedicated power board at one end. Each level is also equipped with safety stairs, chains and railings to prevent falls, ensuring a safer working environment for the team.

According to Johnson, the goal was to provide the team with a safer way to work while improving the efficiency of its monitoring process.

Paul Zalai, Director of Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA), recently visited Western Container Services to witness the container depot operations first-hand. He was impressed by the company’s commitment to safety and efficiency and is looking forward to potential future collaborations.

As a longstanding container depot located at the gateway to the west of Sydney, this innovation aligns with Western Container Services’ vision of processing powered refrigerated shipping containers efficiently and ensuring timely delivery for businesses reliant on these goods. It is strategically located away from the congested Port Botany area, a gateway to the Western Sydney industrial precincts with easy access to the M4, M5 and M8.