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Safety systems are indispensable for efficiently operating a storage business or distribution center. A diverse range of measures and systems help safeguard employees, goods, and properties. This includes warehouse bollards, which themselves come in many forms.
Bollards are low posts of different heights, diameters, and materials generally anchored to the ground to prevent vehicles from penetrating pedestrian areas. Warehouse bollards offer additional protection against accidental impacts, such as the collapse of storage equipment or forklift crash.
SEE ALSO: 4 types of warehouse safety signage you should install
As one of the most frequently used warehouse protection barriers, in addition to guardrails, column guards, and safety gates, bollards create a border that restrict and indicate access as well as protecting dock entrances, shelving, columns, and more.
Warehouse bollards provide visual warnings to minimize accidents that disrupt the operations of the facilities where they are placed. In addition, they are low-cost and low-maintenance safety features that are easy to install and highly effective, making it critical to make the right decision from the start.
If you need a warehouse setup consultant to help you supply and install warehouse bollards, contact us. We offer services in Brazil, Mexico, and the United States, where we adhere to the highest safety standards.
Warehouse bollards: types and applications
Depending on the application, there are several options of warehouse bollards, so the choice between them depends on the intended use. When collision protectors 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 security elements inside and outside these stores. As their name suggests, they are usually anchored to the floor surface by plates screwed in place. They can also be installed through systems that require downwards excavation for superior impact resistance.
Bollards of this type are used, among other things, to protect the columns of shelving 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 the storage space changes and adapts to new functions. Some of these safety elements have bases that can be manually removed to be placed at another point, as required.
One of the advantages of these low posts is that they help to create caution zones for personnel not indicated by warehouse floor marking options, either around a crane or delineating the space to be occupied by a load.
Folding bollards
Retractable warehouse bollards are the best choice for vehicle control, especially at the entrances of emergency transport, such as ambulances and fire trucks, as they can be hidden in the ground and provide quick access to the facilities.
Retractable bollards work with a locking and unlocking system. When unlocked, they slide to be flush with the ground to avoid tripping hazards for personnel or any obstructions. When extended, they provide a visual barrier to vehicles.
Docking bollards
When a truck carrying goods and materials arrives at a storage business or distribution center, visual guidance is required on both sides of the loading and unloading docks to prevent these vehicles from crashing into the property, damaging it, and causing major accidents.
Here 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 surrounds.
Concrete bollards
Warehouse bollards can have steel structures and be filled with concrete, but they can also be made explicitly of concrete. In these cases, they are convenient on the outside corners of buildings, as they prevent trucks backing up from colliding with the construction.
These security barriers offer maximum protection at minimum cost. In addition, they are very resistant to all kinds of inclement weather, as they do not rust or get dirty, so they are also low maintenance. As they are immoveable, any changes will need to involve destruction so they must be planned carefully.
Traffic bollards
These colorful, high-visibility poles are placed outside storage buildings or in public parking lots to guide vehicles in the right direction, as well as to delimit spaces and protect structures.
When used to guide traffic, they can be made of flexible materials, which allow them to repeatedly bend up to 90 degrees without losing their shape, ripping, cracking, or breaking. Although they are flexible, they look like metal at first, so drivers avoid hitting them.
Decorative bollards
Finally, while retaining their protective functions and delimiting areas, decorative bollards are characterized by their variety of colors and styles. More than anything else, they give a different appearance to properties, from residential buildings to parks or park squares.
These poles, also called architectural bollards, can help give a brand more presence thanks to their colors, shapes, and placement. Making a storage facility a little less grey can be a way to make your business a better place to work.
Serviap Logistics offers warehouse bollards installation
At Serviap Logistics, one of our services is the supply and installation of warehouse bollards, whether in Brazil, Mexico, or the United States, territories where we operate and adhere to safety standards.
Additionally, we offer equipment assembly, signage, labeling, and floor marking. Also, thanks to our project management services, we can help you install a new facility, remodel, or relocate from start to finish.
Our customers and partners come from various industries, including automotive, e-commerce, and wholesale. As a family-owned company with roots in Mexico that has grown internationally, we are committed to service excellence and personalized attention.
To maintain safety within 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 to learn more about our warehouse bollard supply and installation services. If you liked this article, check out the rest of our coverage.
