Choosing the right Armco barriers for your site requires careful consideration of several key factors from barrier type and dimensions to site-specific safety requirements.
Whether you require Armco crash barriers for a warehouse or safety handrails for a roof-level car park, not choosing the right barrier for your needs can lead to compromised safety, failing to hit compliance guidelines, and reputational damage if the worst happens.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know, helping you to navigate Armco barrier specifications, installation methods, and the best solutions for different environments.
CT safety barriers supply versatile Armco product ranges well-suited to all sites and environments, offering durable, compliant, and cost-effective protection.
Why Armco barriers?
Armco barriers are crash barriers made from galvanised steel, supported by robust posts. Their key selling points are that they absorb impacts, provide stability, and last a long time. They also comply with the standardised health and safety regulations established in the UK. That’s why so many business owners and site managers invest in them.
Armco barriers come in two parts:
1. Armco barrier beams
These are straight and curved steel beams that sit on top of posts. You can choose the length to suit your site providing bespoke safety solutions that can be conveniently fitted to your unique space.
- Standard straight beams: Our most popular barrier type. Their transferable shape and structure make them ideal for a lot of sites including along roadsides, parking areas, and industrial sites.
- Curved beams: These include concave curved beams and convex curved beams, both of which are used to navigate corners and encircle obstacles, ensuring continuous robust protection along curved paths.
2. Armco barrier posts
Posts are used to anchor the beams securely, ensuring structural integrity. Depending on your site, you can choose from:
- Bolt-down posts: Bolt-down posts are commonly used on concrete and other solid surfaces, making them effective in carparks and warehouses.
- Dig-in (cast-in) post: Dig-in posts are used in areas lacking hard surfaces like some building sites. Embedded into softer ground, they are ideal as a temporary safety solution.
- Z-posts: Z-shaped posts are lightweight and easy to handle, making them better suited for lower-risk environments like warehouses and loading bays. Their slimmer profile allows them to fit tighter spaces, where RSJ posts might be overkill.
- RSJ posts: RSJ posts are a strong and highly durable option, providing impact-resistance in areas where the most durable protection is needed like high-traffic areas and industrial sites.
Read more about Armco barrier posts.
Armco barrier dimensions: what to consider
Selecting the right Armco barrier dimensions is essential for site safety. For a thorough and efficient installation process, go around your site and identify hazardous areas, listing them in priority order, with precise measurements.
You can then source the correct barrier height, length, and spacing to ensure maximum protection against vehicle impacts.
To help you build a quote, use our Armco barrier calculator.
Here’s how to consider these:
- Height & depth: Choose barrier heights that match the height of vehicles, perimeters, and size and scale of areas in need of protection. For example, warehouses typically need protection from forklifts, while construction sites require sturdier barriers for diggers and heavy machinery.
- Spacing & length: Ensure your Armco barrier spacing maintains continuous protection for each area in question. Proper barrier length keeps work areas defined while preventing accidental damage.
- Installation considerations: Ground surfaces impact the barrier anchoring method. Whether bolted or concreted in place, your barriers must remain secure after installation—and withstand impacts.
Armco barrier installation process
Armco barrier installation is a straightforward, hassle-free process that allows you to get them up and protecting your site with minimal operational disruption.
- Connect the components: Start by bolting the barrier sections together at their overlapping points using the appropriate fixings.
- Install main beams: Align the main beams – typically 350mm in length with a 300mm overlap, ensuring the pre-drilled holes match up for an easy connection.
- Set supporting posts: Secure the posts in place by setting them into the ground with concrete or by bolting them onto a concrete surface.
- Fix posts in sequence: Begin at one end of the barrier system and move sequentially to fix each post to its corresponding beam until you reach the opposite end.
- Attach corners and terminal ends: Lastly, add necessary corner pieces and terminal ends like fishtails or pedestrian-friendly caps to protect against sharp edges and define your safety perimeters accurately.
Read our guide for a more detailed breakdown of the installation process.
Types of Armco barriers
There are multiple types of Armco barriers available, each suited to a unique purpose. You may need one or multiple types to ensure maximum safety-proofing around your site.
Armco crash barriers
These robust steel barriers are highly durable, designed to be easily extended, replaced, and adjusted to specifications, and require minimal maintenance.
Best for:
- Industrial sites with heavy machinery
- Roadside protection
- Warehouse
Warehouse protection barriers
These protection barriers include guardrails, rack protectors, rail protectors and others. They are placed internally and externally around warehouses, ensuring buildings and equipment are secure.
Best for:
- Factories
- Loading bays
- Storage areas
Hoop barriers
These barriers provide flexible protection in the form of perimeter hoops, barrier fencing, lamp post protection, and cycle hoop barriers.
Best for:
- Industrial business environments
- Commercial carparks
Steel bollards
Like hoop barriers, static steel bollards can be used in a versatile array of situations from car parks to industrial centres. CT Safety bollards provide a variety of finishes including galvanised steel and powder coated yellow.
Best for:
- Industrial business environments
- Commercial carparks
Safety handrails
From separating pedestrian and worker walkways to securing a rooftop perimeter, safety handrails are a great way to enhance pedestrian safety.
Best for:
- Pedestrian walkways
- Walkways at height
- Rooftops
Safeguard your site with CT Safety’s Armco barriers
Picking Armco barriers ultimately depends on the requirements of your site, so recce the environment, taking detailed account of hazardous areas and priority locations.
CT Safety Barriers have a versatile stock of offerings fit for any site, and we install them ourselves with minimal disruption to your operation.
To get the full scope, explore our full range of Armco barriers. If you want to discuss your project in depth, reach out to our team of eager professionals – we’re happy to help.
Call us on (01977) 666 818
Email at sales@ctsafetybarriers.co.uk