It turns out that not all steel mesh containment panels that you can use for your racks or vertical storage systems are the same. To help end users, consultants, buyers, and academics determine the quality of the product they are assessing, the MHI’s industry group the Protective Guarding Manufacturing Association (ProGMA) has released a new standard, “Steel Mesh Containment Panels Used in Pallet Rack and Vertical Storage System Applications: Performance and Testing Requirements.”

Steel mesh containment panels are often used on the back of a pallet rack to keep pallets and boxes from falling into the flue between the backs of two racks or to keep products and pallets from falling into an aisle.

The group hopes that the new standards will help users understand what a steel mesh containment panel is made of, how to apply it, why to apply it, and what the benefits are in terms of security and safety, according to Ray Niemeyer of manufacturer SpaceGuard Products Inc., who is also vice chair of ProGMA.

The document also outlines testing procedures for the panels. The standard is approved by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI). It can be purchased on MHI’s website for $25 for members and $50 for nonmembers.