Safety products play a critical role in enhancing safety and preventing accidents. From controlling traffic in carparks to providing fall protection in factories, safety structures like Armco barriers, bollards and handrails should be an essential components of your security infrastructure.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore a range of CT Safety products specifically designed to mitigate risks and protect people and property. From Armco barriers to bollards and safety handrails, we’ll delve into the features, applications and benefits of each category, highlighting their effectiveness in different environments.
Armco Barriers: Vehicle Safety Barriers
Armco barriers are robust safety barriers that have been specifically designed to protect against vehicle collisions. Often seen on motorways and busy roads, they also have a critical role in ensuring off-road safety, helping to outline safe areas and protect pedestrians.
These barriers – consisting of sturdy steel beams, posts and ends – are strategically placed to absorb impact energy and redirect vehicles safely, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries.
Constructed from galvanised steel, Armco barriers boast exceptional strength and durability, ensuring long-lasting performance even in harsh conditions. With their modular design and durable construction, these barriers offer reliable protection in a wide variety of environments.
Where to install Armco Barriers:
- Car Parks: Armco barriers are often used in car parks. The soft curve of Convex Corrugated Beams and Concave Corrugated Beams help guide vehicles along designated traffic lanes, while straight Armco Beams mark parking spaces clearly and provide vital protection against accidental collisions.
- Construction Sites: At construction sites, Armco barriers can help control vehicle access, separate work areas and offer crucial protection against construction hazards, ensuring safety for workers and equipment.
- Warehouses & Factories: Factories, warehouses and manufacturing facilities can also benefit from the safety and security provided by Armco barriers, particularly in high-traffic areas such as loading bays and storage yards. Installing 90 degree internal corners and 90 degree external corner pieces helps mark the edges of designated pedestrian spaces. They can also safely guide forklift traffic, outline storage areas, and provide essential protection for both workers and inventory.
- Building Exteriors: Armco barriers are often placed outside buildings to improve safety and shield them from vehicle impacts. Positioned strategically, they serve as a protection barrier, mark boundaries, and reduce accidents and damage risks. If the building is in a busy pedestrian area, Pedestrian Terminal Ends are a great solution for protecting people from any sharp edges.
- Agricultural Sites & Farmyards: Armco barriers in agricultural and farm settings can provide protection for buildings, equipment and livestock. They can also be used to mark field boundaries or contain larger animals like cows and horses. Cast In RSJ or Cast In Z posts are cemented into soft ground, ensuring your beams will hold strong against their heavy weight.
Bollards: Pedestrian Safety
Bollards are designed to control traffic, protect surroundings and keep pedestrians safe. These sturdy structures can be strategically placed to help manage pedestrian flow in retail areas, secure access to car parks and restricted areas, or serve as protective barriers around sensitive infrastructure.
From retractable bollards to more permanent fixtures, bollards are a versatile tool that can be used in a wide variety of environments.
1. Telescopic Bollards
Telescopic bollards are retractable safety barriers designed to provide temporary or permanent access control and protection. These bollards can be easily raised or lowered as needed, offering flexibility and convenience in managing vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Where to use Telescopic Bollards:
- Carparks & Garages: Telescopic bollards can be installed in carparks and garages to provide flexible access control and improve security. They prevent unauthorised parking in reserved spaces and can also act as a deterrent for car thieves.
- Pedestrian Zones: Used in pedestrian zones and walkways, telescopic bollards are an excellent solution for temporarily closing roads during certain hours or events to allow for pedestrian-only access. They ensure the safety of pedestrians by preventing vehicle entry into designated areas.
- High-Security Buildings & Institutions: Telescopic bollards are often used at the entrance to high-security buildings, such as governments or embassies, to enhance perimeter security and protect sensitive areas from unauthorised vehicle access.
- Commercial and Retail Areas: Retractable bollards can be used in commercial and retail areas to regulate access to loading zones, service entrances and delivery areas. They can help maintain orderly traffic flow, prevent congestion and ensure efficient operations for businesses.
- Loading Docks: Telescopic bollards are often used at loading docks in warehouses, factories, and distribution centres to provide temporary access for delivery vehicles while ensuring security and preventing unauthorised entry.
2. Static Steel Bollards
Static steel bollards are sturdy and permanent safety barriers designed to withstand high-impact collisions and protect critical infrastructure. Manufactured from heavy-duty steel, these bollards offer unparalleled strength and durability, making them ideal for high-traffic areas.
Where to use Static Steel Bollards:
- Building Perimeters: Static steel bollards provide effective perimeter security for buildings, warehouses and industrial facilities, safeguarding against collisions, and ram attacks.
- Traffic Management: Along roadways and parking lots, static steel bollards help to outline traffic lanes and protect pedestrians from traffic.
- Critical Infrastructure Protection: Power plants, airports, and government facilities rely on static steel bollards to protect vital assets and infrastructure from potential threats.
3. Stainless Steel Bollards
Stainless steel bollards are a sleek and modern safety solution, combining aesthetic appeal with robust protection against vehicle impacts. Resistant to corrosion and weathering, stainless steel bollards are suitable for a wide range of outdoor environments.
Their elegant appearance makes them a popular safety solution for pedestrianised areas such as public parks, busy retail high streets, and outside office buildings.
Where to use stainless steel bollards:
- Building Entrances: Stainless steel bollards are often installed at the entrances of buildings, including offices, government facilities, and commercial establishments, to protect pedestrians and infrastructure from traffic collisions and ramming attacks.
- Airport Terminals: You’ll also see this type of bollard used around airport terminals and other airport facilities to control access to restricted areas and protect against vehicle-based security threats.
- Carparks: Static bollards are commonly used in parking car parks and garages to define parking spaces, prevent vehicle damage to structures, and enhance pedestrian safety in high traffic areas.
- Public Transport Hubs: In busy pedestrian hubs such as train stations, bus interchanges and subway entrances, stainless steel bollards can be used to control vehicle access, protect against ramming attacks, and ensure the safety of passengers and pedestrians.
Safety Handrails: Fall and Accident Prevention
Safety handrails are an essential tool to ensure pedestrian safety. Installed strategically, they can help prevent accidents and falls, guide the pedestrian flow, and provide accessibility in a wide variety of environments.
From industrial facilities to public buildings, safety handrails ensure everyone can confidently and safely navigate their surroundings.
Learn more: The Importance of Safety Handrails
1. Key Clamp Handrails
Key clamp handrails – also known as key clamp fittings – are a robust and durable handrail system. Their modular design and galvanised steel construction provide strength and reliability for a variety of environments.
Where to use Key Clamp handrails:
- Industrial Facilities: Key clamp handrails are commonly used in industrial settings such as factories, warehouses and manufacturing plants. They provide safety and guidance for workers navigating walkways, staircases and elevated platforms.
- Construction Sites: Their modular design makes key clamp rails an essential safety feature on construction sites. Easy to install and dismantle, they provide robust fall protection and guidance for workers on scaffolding, elevated platforms, and temporary staircases.
- Pedestrian Bridges: Installing key clamp handrails on pedestrian bridges and overpasses can help ensure the safety of pedestrians crossing busy roads or railway tracks.
- School Playgrounds: Key clamp handrails can often be found around play equipment and elevated platforms in school playgrounds to help reduce the risk of falls and injuries.
2. DDA Handrails
DDA handrails are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) regulations, helping ensure accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities.
Designed to meet specific height, diameter and grip requirements, DDA handrails provide support and guidance for users of all abilities in a variety of environments. They are also a mandatory feature for some specific locations, as mandated by the DDA and Building Regulations Part M: 2004.
Where to install DDA Handrails:
- Public Buildings: DDA handrails are a legal requirement outside public buildings across the UK, such as government offices, libraries and community centres. These handrails ensure accessibility and provide essential support and guidance for people with disabilities.
- Commercial Buildings: In commercial buildings like offices, retail units and shopping centres, DDA handrails are vital for ensuring accessibility for customers and employees. UK building regulations dictate that DDA-compliant handrails must be installed on all external stairways leading to a commercial building.
- Outdoor Spaces: DDA handrails are also commonly used in outdoor recreational spaces throughout the UK, including parks and playgrounds. Installing DDA handrails along pathways, ramps and viewing platforms helps facilitate safe and easy access for everyone, including people with disabilities.
3. Tubular Handrails
Tubular handrails – or ball type handrails – offer a combination of strength, durability, and aesthetics, making them suitable for various off-road applications. Whether used for pedestrian safety, equipment protection or crowd control, tubular handrails provide reliable performance in demanding environments.
Where to install tubular handrails:
- Factories: Tubular handrail systems are ideal for use in factories where there is a significant amount of moving machinery. These handrails can be installed on stairways, walkways, and platforms to provide essential protection for workers, preventing accidents and ensuring their safety in high-risk areas.
- Warehouses and loading bays: Like factories, industrial facilities like manufacturing plants, warehouses and loading bays can all benefit from tubular handrails. These handrail systems offer reliable protection along walkways, mezzanines, and machinery areas, safeguarding workers from potential hazards.
- Warehouses: Tubular handrails can also be effective in construction sites where there is frequent high-risk movement of materials and machinery. Installing these handrail systems along temporary staircases, scaffolding structures and elevated platforms helps mitigate risks and enhances worker safety.
Safety Products by CT Safety
By investing in quality safety products like Armco barriers, bollards and handrails – as well as implementing effective safety measures – we can create environments that are not only safer but also more efficient and productive.
We encourage you to explore the complete range of CT Safety products discussed in this guide and give our expert team a call on 01977 666 818 if you have any questions or specific requirements.