Ensuring the safety of the workers should be the topmost priority in every business, especially if your workplace contains many different risk factors. If you are the business owner or the safety leader in your company, it is your duty to find the appropriate safety barriers and processes that should be implemented in your workplace.

Knowing the right barriers is vital in your safety program. Not only should they be appropriate for your workplace, they should also pass the legal Australian standards for safety barriers. This article will give you an idea about which barriers to use in a factory, warehouse, storage facility, and other workplaces that have high risk of injuries.

Importance of safety barriers

Accidents and injuries in the workplace can have significant negative effects on your business. Not taking the proper safety measures could hinder efficiency and productivity, lead to additional expenses for damage repairs, or worse, cause physical harm or death.

Having suitable safety barriers in the workplace will help you protect your heavy machinery, expensive equipment, and building infrastructure from damages. More importantly, barriers could prevent worker injuries or fatalities by minimising or eliminating the occurrence of accidents in your premises.

Kinds of safety barriers

Below are some of the commonly used safety barriers in different workplaces.

For impact protection

These barriers are usually used if you have walls, docks, shelves, racks, or columns that need to be protected from any sort of impact damage.

Racking and shelving protectors

Forklift accidents can harm workers, damage shelves and racks, and destroy products and goods, which would cost you a lot of money to repair. These impact-tested protectors are easy to install and inexpensive. If truck and forklift collisions are highly likely to happen in your workplace, then investing on these barriers is advisable.

Dock bumpers

These are D-shaped or flat rubber protectors that can be fitted to your docking ports. They can be installed at various heights to prevent impact damage from the different types of vans or trucks that deliver and pick up your goods.

Column and wall protectors

These are effective barriers for minimising damage to vehicles and your workplace’s structures. They are commonly made from impact resistant materials which can be easily installed on walls and columns using self-adhesives.

For retail and maintenance

Safety barriers for retail and maintenance should be highly visible, versatile, light, and can be easily stored in the stockroom when not in use. They are usually used to warn workers and clients of spillage and other maintenance activities.

Expanding barriers

These are barriers that warn people about certain hazards, such as spillage, repairs, or wet floors in areas where there is a lot of foot traffic. They are accordion-like, allowing easy transport, storage, and positioning.

A-frame signs

These are the floor signs you commonly see in malls or supermarket aisles, such as the Caution Wet Floor sign.

Minder signs

Such signs create a physical barrier around hazardous areas. They have grooves that can be interlocked together, so you can adjust the size according to the area that needs to be blocked off.

Handi guards

These are modular panel sets that allow you to surround an area of any size or shape. They are commonly used for manholes, passenger conveyors, or elevators to stop pedestrians from entering the hazardous zones.

Caution cone

They can be placed in areas with small or large liquid spills to guide the people around the hazard.

Elevator guards

These are tall and thin protectors placed against elevator doorframes that usually come with signs like No Entry, Authorised Personnel Only, or Maintenance in Progress. These are used to stop people from stepping into elevator shafts.

Before purchasing safety barriers for your company, it’s best to conduct a risk assessment first. Contact Verge Safety Barriers for professional advice and installation of the appropriate safety barriers that would provide the highest standard of safety in your workplace.