Security systems are indispensable for the efficient operation of a warehousing company or distribution center. A wide range of measures and systems help safeguard employees, goods and property. This includes warehouse bollards, which in turn come in many forms.
Bollards are low posts of varying heights, diameters and materials generally anchored to the ground to prevent vehicles from entering pedestrian areas. Warehouse bollards provide additional protection against accidental impacts, such as collapsing storage equipment or forklift collisions.
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As one of the most widely used warehouse protection barriers, in addition to guardrails, column guards and security gates, bollards create an edge that restricts and indicates access, as well as protecting entrances to docks, racks, columns and more.
Warehouse bollards provide visual warnings to minimize accidents that disrupt operations in the facilities where they are placed. In addition, they are low-cost, low-maintenance, easy-to-install and highly effective safety features, so it is critical to make the right choice from the start.
If you need a warehouse installation consultant to help you supply and install warehouse bollards, please contact us. We offer services in Brazil, Mexico and the United States, where we meet the most stringent safety standards.
Bollards for warehouses: types and applications
Depending on the application, there are several options for warehouse bollards, so the choice between them depends on the intended use. When collision guards are needed, the most common materials are steel or concrete. In other situations, they may be made of flexible plastic so that they bend rather than break. These are the most popular types:
Fixed bollards
Fixed warehouse bollards are one of the most popular safety features inside and outside warehouses. As their name suggests, they are usually anchored to the ground surface by bolted plates. They can also be installed through systems that require downward excavation for greater impact resistance.
Bollards of this type are used, among other things, to protect rack columns and various storage spaces against friction and impact from load-carrying vehicles such as forklifts and cranes.
Removable bollards
Removable warehouse bollards are especially useful when storage space changes and adapts to new functions. Some of these security elements have bases that can be manually removed for repositioning as needed.
One of the advantages of these low posts is that they help create caution zones for personnel not indicated by warehouse floor marking options, either around a crane or delimiting the space to be occupied by a load.
Folding bollards
Retractable bollards for warehouses are the best choice for vehicle control, especially at the entrances of emergency transports such as ambulances and fire trucks, as they can be hidden in the ground and allow quick access to the facility.
Retractable bollards operate with a locking and unlocking system. When unlocked, they slide down to ground level to prevent personnel tripping or any obstruction. When extended, they provide a visual barrier to vehicles.
Berthing bollards
When a truck carrying goods and materials arrives at a warehousing company or distribution center, it is necessary to have visual guidance on both sides of the loading and unloading docks to prevent these vehicles from crashing into property, damaging it and causing serious accidents.
This is where dock warehouse bollards come into play, which are usually recessed to provide added strength. Typically, these protective barriers are made of steel, have high-visibility plastic covers or are surrounded by reflective tape. Colors are usually chosen to contrast with the surroundings.
Concrete bollards
Warehouse bollards can be steel-framed and concrete-filled, but they can also be explicitly concrete. In these cases, they are convenient at the outside corners of buildings, as they prevent backing trucks from colliding with the building.
These safety barriers offer maximum protection at minimum cost. In addition, they are highly resistant to all types of weather, as they do not rust or get dirty, so they also require little maintenance. As they are immovable, any change will have to involve their destruction, so they must be carefully planned.
Traffic bollards
These colorful, highly visible poles are placed outside storage buildings or in public parking lots to guide vehicles in the right direction, as well as to demarcate spaces and protect structures.
When used to guide traffic, they can be made of flexible materials, allowing them to bend repeatedly up to 90 degrees without losing their shape, tearing, cracking or breaking. Although they are flexible, they initially appear metallic, so drivers avoid hitting them.
Decorative bollards
Finally, without losing their functions of protection and delimitation of areas, decorative bollards are characterized by their variety of colors and styles. More than anything else, they give a different look to properties, from residential buildings to parks or landscaped squares.
These posts, also called architectural bollards, can help give a brand more presence thanks to their colors, shapes and placement. Making a warehouse a little less gray can be a way to make your company a better place to work.
Serviap Logistics offers the installation of bollards for warehouses.
At Serviap Logistics, one of our services is the supply and installation of bollards for warehouses, whether in Brazil, Mexico or the United States, territories where we operate and comply with safety standards.
In addition, we offer equipment assembly, signage, labeling and floor marking services. Because we also manage projects, we can help you set up, remodel or relocate your facilities from start to finish.
Our customers and partners come from diverse industries such as automotive, e-commerce and wholesale. As a family business with roots in Mexico that has grown internationally, we are committed to excellence in service and personalized attention.
To maintain safety in the warehouses and distribution centers where we operate, we have personnel with expertise in local regulations, such as OSHA certification in the United States.
Contact us for more information about our warehouse bollard supply and installation services. If you liked this article, check out the rest of our coverage.
