Protective guarding is a foundational element of warehouse safety. Its purpose? To protect people, equipment, and inventory in increasingly complex material handling environments. A new video from the Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA) introduces the association and its mission. It also explains why the group is a trusted resource for protective guarding solutions across the industry.
“ProGMA brings together some of the best manufacturers in the space for safety guarding,” said Brian Pfannes, President of ProGMA member Steel King Industries. “We work together to develop better ways to add more value for our customers while keeping the industry safe.”
The video highlights how ProGMA members are leading suppliers of fixed protective guarding products. It also details how the association supports safety through education, collaboration, and the development of industry standards and best practices.
Clarifying the Role of Protective Guarding
One of the goals of the video is to address common misunderstandings about protective guarding. As warehouses evolve, operators sometimes view guarding as basic pedestrian protection. The video explains that guarding solutions extend far beyond guardrails and encompass a wide range of applications throughout modern facilities.
“It’s easy for safety guarding to be boxed into just protecting pedestrians,” Pfannes said. “But it’s so much more than that. Especially as innovation takes place in warehouses with more automation and denser storage. Whether it’s wire mesh around automated equipment or guarding on platforms and elevated surfaces, ProGMA helps customers understand where to use safety guarding.”
A Central Resource for Safety Solutions
The video positions ProGMA as a centralized resource for identifying hazards and finding the right protective guarding solutions. Because guarding covers such a wide range of applications, ProGMA provides a single place for facility managers, designers, and safety professionals to learn about risks and connect with manufacturers who specialize in addressing them.
“What sets ProGMA apart is that protective guarding covers such a wide range of products and scenarios,” said Aaron Conway, President of Mezzanine Safeti-Gates, another ProGMA member company. “This is a great centralized place to find those solutions and the companies that are making them.”
Conway noted that the video’s intention is to educate end users and industry professionals about ProGMA’s role as a resource. The organization’s members can help with solving known hazards and identifying risks that may exist in a facility but haven’t yet been addressed.
Collaboration Benefits Protective Guarding Users
Another key message in the video is the value of collaboration among ProGMA members. By bringing manufacturers together, the association creates opportunities to share knowledge, integrate complementary technologies, and improve overall safety outcomes for customers.
“Being part of ProGMA allows us to learn what other companies are doing and the hazards they’re solving,” Conway said. “If a customer has a safety concern that our products don’t address directly, I know who to refer them to. In many cases, we’ve partnered with other members to integrate their technology into our products.”
Those collaborations lead to safer, more comprehensive solutions. Conway explained that partnerships formed through ProGMA have enabled his company to add secondary safety features, such as product containment and access restriction. “That wouldn’t have been possible without the connections we’ve made through the association,” he said.
Preparing for Automation and the Warehouse of the Future
The video also looks ahead to how protective guarding must evolve as automation, robotics, and autonomous vehicles become more prevalent in warehouses. While the technology is changing, the need for safety remains constant.
“The hazards are still there,” Conway said. “They may be in different locations, and the layout of facilities may look different, but the need to protect people, equipment, and inventory hasn’t changed.”
Pfannes echoed that perspective, noting that protective guarding is becoming foundational infrastructure in modern facilities. “As warehouses become more automated and more dense, protective guarding needs to evolve right alongside that innovation,” he said. “It’s about keeping people out of harm’s way while still allowing access to maintain and service equipment.”
More Than Standards Alone
While ProGMA is well known for its role in developing American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines, the video emphasizes that the association’s impact goes beyond standards. Education, awareness, and collaboration are central to how ProGMA helps shape the future of warehouse safety.
“ProGMA is not just about setting standards,” Pfannes said. “It’s about reshaping how the industry thinks about safety guarding and making sure it remains a central consideration as warehouses continue to change.”
See Who ProGMA Is—and Why It Matters
To watch the video and learn more about ProGMA and its members, visit mhi.org/ProGMA. Looking for more ways to safeguard people and assets in your facility? ProGMA offers multiple resources and educational information about protective guarding solutions. These include a Protective Guarding Search Tool, a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), case studies, and a library of educational videos.
