Custom Flatbed Fall Protection for Fabrication Shop Loading
Industry: Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing construction and fabrication
Location: Pennsylvania
Application: Daily loading and unloading of pipe, fabricated assemblies, and heavy equipment
Challenge: Protecting employees at elevated working positions while preparing for a shop relocation
It’s keeping our employees safe.
— Roger Primus, Plumbing Superintendent, Southland Industries
Overview
Southland Industries provides mechanical, electrical, and plumbing building services, including engineering, construction, and service. At its Pennsylvania fabrication operation, employees load and unload pipe and heavy equipment throughout the day, working with flatbeds and other truck types.
The team needed truck fall protection that accounted for stacked materials and could move with the operation to a new fabrication shop. Truck Fall Prevention supplied a system with a customized height, adding a physical guardrail barrier to an activity that had previously relied largely on worker awareness and careful positioning.
The Challenge
Loading requirements changed from truck to truck. Employees handled materials of different sizes and weights, sometimes with pipe or fabricated assemblies stacked to make fuller use of each load. Where this work placed employees above the trailer deck, Southland needed guardrails sized for that elevated working position.
Southland already used fall protection for other tasks, but the Pennsylvania team did not have a comparable guardrail system for this truck loading application. Finding a practical solution had been an ongoing concern for the shop and its internal safety team.
A planned relocation added another requirement. Southland wanted to avoid a major investment tied to a fabrication shop it was preparing to leave. The system needed to address the current loading operation and remain useful at the next facility.
The Solution
During a visit to Southland’s North Texas division in Carrollton, Roger Primus, Plumbing Superintendent, saw a Truck Fall Prevention System in use. The visiting team recorded it in action and shared the video internally, giving colleagues a concrete example of an approach already being used within Southland.
The North Texas team connected Roger with Debbie at Truck Fall Prevention. When the Pennsylvania team found that it needed a taller configuration than the standard system initially supplied, Debbie helped arrange a Custom System. Roger described her as “super easy to work with.”
The resulting custom flatbed truck fall protection addressed the team’s height requirements around stacked materials. Its portability also meant Southland could take the system to the new fabrication shop. During loading, employees reposition the guardrails as needed to accommodate material placement.
The Impact
At the time of the September 2026 interview, the Pennsylvania team reported no falls from trucks since putting the system into use and greater confidence working on trucks.
Adoption required adjustment. Installing, repositioning, and removing the guardrails added steps to a process that previously had no comparable setup. For some employees, incorporating the equipment into their daily routine took some adjustment. The team nevertheless described feeling safer while performing the work.
For Southland, the value was a physical barrier suited to its loading requirements, along with the ability to keep using the equipment after relocating.
Testimonial
“It’s keeping our employees safe and it’s giving us an opportunity to maximize what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Roger Primus, Plumbing Superintendent, Southland Industries
Get a Fall Prevention System for Your Application
Does your team load flatbeds with stacked pipe, fabricated assemblies, or equipment that creates unusual working heights? Tell us how the work is performed.
Truck Fall Prevention can help evaluate a system for your application. Submit the RFQ form with your trailer type, photos, approximate dimensions, and loading requirements so our team can recommend a configuration and provide pricing.