Safety Barriers for Airports

Modern airports are immensely complex! Many individual organisations are involved in the operation of a modern airport. While the general responsibility for efficient, safe, and legal operations lies with the airport management, many of the individual services at an airport are provided by other companies. Airport services include passenger handling, operations, ramp and freight, passenger service and cargo handling.

The Complexity of a Modern Airport

These complex entities at the modern airports include physical, support and land facilities.

The physical facilities include runways, taxiways, aprons, and strips, supplemented by airfield markings, signs and signals, and air traffic control facilities. Support facilities on the airside of the field include meteorology, power, fire and rescue utilities, aircraft maintenance, and airport maintenance. 

Landside facilities are the passenger and cargo terminals and the access system, which includes parking, roads, public transport facilities, and loading and unloading areas.

With all this complexity a measure must be taken against the negative situations that can be experienced within and outside the airport. There is a high risk of accidents because of the mobility in airports, including those between an intense vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

The Hazardous Environment

Airport service roads are fast-paced, heavy-duty environments that can operate up to 24 hours a day. With numerous ground support vehicles in operation, such as tugs, dollies and fuel trucks, the risk of collisions is high. Airport safety barriers offer the most reliable solution for segregating traffic, as well as protecting pedestrians and infrastructure from the risk of vehicle collision. Flexible Barrier provides airports with durable and protected solution against possible and serious accidents.

The Use of Safety Barriers

These Safety Barriers are purpose-engineered to withstand the heaviest of vehicles and the harshest of conditions in airport environment. Robust and low maintenance, the barriers can flex to withstand multiple impacts without the need for costly repairs or replacements.

They are used to: 

• Segregate passengers and vehicles
• Protect against high-energy impacts
• Define and defend pedestrian and vehicle routes
• Create pedestrian safe zones
• Control the movement of traffic

Tug Charging

Tug charging stations are essential for keeping electrically powered airport tugs and ground support vehicles operational. However, multiple vehicles coming and going can make charging infrastructure vulnerable to impact damage. Such damage can be costly both in terms of repairs and equipment downtime. Bollards can protect and shield charging stations from vehicle impacts. They are engineered to absorb and deflect heavyweight forces, preventing damage and avoiding downtime.

Door Protection

Airports are busy environments, with high levels of traffic in constant circulation. Therefore, doors can be susceptible to impacts from airport vehicles. Damage to doors can result in costly repairs and operational downtime, reducing airport efficiency. Highly visible, robust overdoor protector barriers can provide vehicle drivers with clear direction, as well as offering physical protection against collisions.

Heavy Duty Barriers

Impacts on columns can threaten the structural integrity of your building resulting in damage that is costly to repair. A vehicle impact with a floodlight can mean a section of airport is out of action until repairs have been made. Heavy duty barriers can solve this problem, as they can be configured to fit around masts, columns and floodlights. They provide complete protection from passing vehicles.

Wall Protection

Whilst walls are built to be strong, they are not indestructible. Any impact from a vehicle could have costly consequences, therefore it is necessary to protect the walls. The Verge’s range of barriers have solutions not only stop vehicles from impacting with walls, but they also flex and fully recover which prevents damage to the vehicles, walls and floors.

Columns

Columns are part of the framework that support the structure of the buildings. Any damage through collision could cause a full section of airport to be at risk of collapse, with serious consequences. With multiple vehicles constantly in operation on aprons and in and around airport buildings, columns can be vulnerable to impacts. Column protection is necessary to keep the structure safe and helps the prevent potentially devastating accidents.

Passengers and Workers

Passengers and workers must be protected from service vehicle traffic and kept to walkways to protect them from danger. Safety gates are strong and flexible. They separate passengers from vehicle routes, while also providing physical protection and clear visual guidance along designated walkways. In some instances, pedestrian protection could be provided by the use of handrails and mesh panels, which can be used in conjunction with traditional safety barrier rails or beam and rail systems.

Baggage Halls

Conveyors and other pieces of expensive baggage handling equipment are regularly in close contact with airport vehicles. This makes them vulnerable to impacts. Steel barriers are expensive to repair and replace after impact damage. They also carry the hidden cost of repairs to ground substrates, as impacts often result in floor damage. Flexible barriers like loading gates are especially designed and offer incredible protection and dramatically reduced maintenance costs.

Robust and low maintenance

Flexible barriers have the capability to reduce the level of shock a vehicle absorbs on impact of a collision, thus minimising any injuries sustained upon the vehicle operator and the vehicle itself. This is because of the flexible polymer material soaking up the impact and then distributing that shock across the body of the barrier. This is comparative to the traditional barriers where the vehicle (and the driver) absorbs most, if not all, of the impact.

Verge Safety Barriers

We work with companies across Australia to create a safer working environment. Verge Safety Barriers are dedicated to the safety of all workplaces for Australian businesses. Backed by years of experience, Verge Safety Barriers can install a system of flexible barriers in anything from a large airport to a small storage shed. Reach out to the team today on 1800 765 539 or enquire online.