What Is an Industrial Safety Barrier?
Industrial Safety Barrier is a type of protective equipment in use at facilities to protect workers and other assets from collisions with powered industrial vehicles such as forklifts. These safety barriers provide a physical barricade to clearly separate pedestrians from areas where vehicle traffic is common, and they help reduce accidents, injuries and facility downtime caused by these incidents.
There are several types of safety barriers available for various applications and environments. Each is designed to manage a specific hazard or meet a particular requirement. These include bollards & posts, plastic barriers, pedestrian barriers, systems protector, rack end protection and column guard rails, among others. Many of these barriers are made from polymer materials, which offer flexibility to the kinetic energy that they absorb upon impact. The impact rating of a barrier is often given in Joules, and each can be assessed using an online kinetic energy chart to determine its effectiveness as a barrier.
Safety barriers can be installed in a variety of ways to ensure that they are effective and visible. They are normally brightly colored to act as a deterrent, and they should be placed in such a way that they do not pose a trip hazard, block an exit or obscure the view of other safety signage or equipment. They should also be properly positioned to avoid creating obstructions or interfering with the operation of any other equipment, such as loading dock doors.
In addition to preventing collisions that might harm staff, Industrial Safety Barrier can protect a workplace’s pallets, stock, doorways and racking from the damage that can be caused by a collision with a forklift or other vehicle. This can be expensive to repair, and it can result in delays or disruption to production activities. These safety barriers are an inexpensive way to protect the investment in a warehouse or factory and minimize potential downtime and losses associated with industrial collisions.
Besides protecting the workforce and valuable assets, industrial safety barriers can also mitigate legal liability when an accident occurs. The presence of barriers shows that the company took reasonable steps to protect employees and mitigate damage, and this can be important in reducing the risk of hefty fines or facility shutdowns.
While safety barriers are a relatively straightforward and cost-effective solution to prevent collisions, it’s important to carefully assess each application and select the right barrier type for the environment in question. For example, some barriers are better suited for high-speed collisions than others. Additionally, some barriers are designed to be highly configurable so that they can adapt to changing conditions in a facility and still be effective and durable. This versatility can save time and money in the long run as it helps eliminate unnecessary expenses related to replacement, maintenance or repairs. A barrier that is flexible and can disperse impact energy will typically be more cost-effective than a rigid steel version. It is also a good idea to consider the kinetic energy of any vehicle that might impact the barrier and make sure that the barrier has sufficient capability to absorb this energy without causing injury or damage to the vehicle and its driver
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