What Is the Minimum Height of Protection in Industrial Safety Systems?

In warehouse and manufacturing environments, collisions involving forklifts and other industrial vehicles are one of the most common causes of damage to structures, equipment, and inventory.

One of the most frequent questions our team at ENNAT USA receives is:

“What is the minimum height a safety barrier should protect?”

It’s a critical question because while many companies install robust impact barriers designed to withstand heavy loads, the most vulnerable zone often remains unprotected: the floor level, exactly where forklift forks operate.

Why Is There a Minimum Height of Protection?

This lower safety limit isn’t arbitrary. It’s based on the natural operating height of forklift forks, which typically rest very close to the floor, about 6 inches (15 cm) high.

That means the minimum protection height for any industrial safety system should be 6 inches, ensuring that the most common and damaging impacts—those from lowered forks don’t penetrate or cut through critical assets or infrastructure.

The Real Risk: Forklift Forks

Forklift forks are heavy, sharp-edged steel arms. Even a small lapse in attention can cause significant damage, including:

• Puncturing or crushing goods and packaging

• Damaging electrical panels or control systems

• Cutting racking posts or supports

• Cracking floors or hitting columns

Since forks spend most of their time in a lowered position, most impacts occur near floor level. Any unprotected section in that area leaves your operation exposed.

How to Effectively Protect Floor-Level Areas

Even if your facility uses flexible industrial barriers, the lowest portion of the system may still be at risk of fork penetration. To achieve full protection, ENNAT USA integrates elastic energy-absorbing components designed to absorb and redistribute impact forces starting from the base.

ENNAT’s Elastic Energy Absorption Technology

At the core of ENNAT’s protection systems is an engineered rubber compound capable of high elastic deformation. This allows the barrier to gradually decelerate impact forces, preventing the transmission of energy to the floor or structural anchors.

Here’s how it works:

When a forklift hits the protection, the rubber slightly deforms, absorbing the impact energy and dispersing it across the system.

 This ensures that no energy is transferred directly to the structure, avoiding damage and extending the system’s lifespan.

Additionally, ENNAT’s elastic design allows a controlled rotational response, which redirects the vehicle’s movement and supports a smoother deceleration — further minimizing stress on both the structure and the vehicle.

This combination of energy absorption and controlled flexibility is what makes ENNAT’s technology highly effective for modern industrial safety.

When Should You Reinforce Floor-Level Protection?

There are two main situations where additional floor-level protection (minimum 6 in / 15 cm) is strongly recommended:

1. When forklifts travel long distances before reaching a barrier

If a forklift travels more than 60 feet (20 meters), its speed and kinetic energy increase significantly. An impact at that velocity can easily damage unprotected areas at floor level.

2. When critical assets are located near the floor

Areas containing electrical panels, fire suppression systems, control cabinets, racking supports, or essential machinery should always have ground-level protection. Damage to these elements can result in downtime, costly repairs, or serious safety risks.

Key Variables Before Installing Protection Systems

Before installing any ground-level protection, several operational factors must be considered:

• Vehicle type, weight, and speed in the area

• Height and design of existing barriers

• Value and characteristics of the asset being protected

At ENNAT USA, our safety experts conduct technical evaluations to identify the most effective protection system for each specific operational scenario.

Dynamic Testing Matters

Not all impact protection systems perform equally well under real-world conditions. That’s why every ENNAT system is dynamically tested to simulate real-life forklift impacts — ensuring that the energy is safely absorbed and controlled at all angles and speeds.

These tests validate the durability, flexibility, and structural integrity of ENNAT barriers, guaranteeing long-term protection for people, infrastructure, and equipment.

Real Safety Starts at the Ground Level

The minimum protection height of 6 inches (15 cm) is critical for ensuring true industrial safety. Leaving this area unprotected means leaving your facility’s weakest point exposed.

With ENNAT’s elastic absorption technology, your facility is protected from the base up — ensuring controlled energy dissipation, reduced structural damage, and increased operational safety.