This short installation guide will introduce you to the tools and steps required to install Armco barriers. We will also briefly run through the context and environment in which installing Armco barriers may be necessary or useful.

Where do You Need to Install Armco Barriers?

Armco barriers are perfect for any roads, car parks or warehouses that have slow traffic, as the armco barriers will be able to contain any damage to prevent any damage to buildings, machinery or pedestrians.

During installation, it is important to consider what could be damaged by a collision, and assess the likelihood of that collision taking place. It may also be useful to consider how fast the vehicle will be moving, the weight of the vehicle, and the angle of impact.

Not only are armco barriers built to protect features such as buildings in the event of a collision, they can also act as a visual warning to the driver. Often, armco accessories come with a bright yellow finish to make the barriers easy to spot. Armco barriers, when used alongside proper signage and markings, can warn drivers that there is a feature or obstruction ahead, and help them to avoid it.

Different risks and situations call for different armco safety barriers and accessories. Armco barriers that are curved or wall mounted may be used to fit around specific features or obstacles. They also come in a variety of sizes and heights, depending on the context and the size of the vehicles used in that area.

Here are the most common sizes:

560mm – to be installed internally in warehouses to protect smaller vehicles and keep people away from dangerous areas.
610mm – This is the industry standard, usually used in car parks and similar scenarios.
760mm & 1100mm – For larger vehicles such as lorries.

To figure out what parts you need, you can use a free online armco barrier calculator or give us a ring on +44 (0)1525 850222 for a quote.

Tools and Skills You May Need

When considering how to implement safety procedures such as armco barriers, it’s always best practice to get professional installation. This will ensure that the barriers are completely secure, and will properly prevent accidents. However, armco barriers are relatively simple to install, so if professional installation is not available, you should have no problem doing it yourself.

Tools

Drill / Screwdriver
Pegs
String Line
PPE
Spirit Level
Clamps
Spade / Digging Equipment
Cement
Cutter / Petrol Saw
The correct barrier length and parts (as mentioned above)
A minimum of two people

How to Install Armco Barriers

Step one: Joining

The main beam sections of the barrier can be bolted together using the pre-existing holes, where the barriers overlap. The barriers usually require M16 x 35mm fixings. Barriers usually come at a standard length, but if a shorter length is required ask an installer to cut down the barriers, ensuring new holes are drilled to line up with the other components.

Step Two: Posts

If you are installing onto an already level and secure concrete surface, you can use base plated posts. Alternatively, the posts will need to be concreted into the ground to make them secure. We recommend carrying out a survey or the ground conditions to ensure your barrier is being safely installed.

You will need three posts per barrier, with the post at the end of one barrier also serving as the first post of the next barrier. Corner sections will need two posts each. Again, there should already be pre-drilled holes, and this time you will need M16 x 50mm fixings to connect the posts to the main beam.

Step Three: Corners & Terminal Ends

Fix the corner and end pieces onto the armco beams. Armco safety barriers and accessories can be brought separately, allowing for you to personalise your safety barriers to suit the situation.

Brightly coloured armco accessories, such as an Armco Pedestrian Safety End, will reduce the risk of a safety hazard due to its visibility. Most armco barrier accessories can be retrofitted to steel Armco terminals, and can add extra buffers for absorbing impacts, such as Brandsafe’s innovative ImpactSAFE Buffers.

Armco barriers are an effective way of preventing damage to equipment or buildings, and protecting workers and the public. If you are still unsure about how to go about implementing your Armco barriers, or whether or not they are needed in your workplace, get free advice from our experts on +44 (0)1525 850222, sales@brandsafeprotection.com, or by contacting us through our website: https://www.brandsafeprotection.com/contact-us/

This blog post will cover the best practice for the installation of speed bumps, and general safety and regulations.

Speed bumps are often overlooked but they are essential to ensuring people’s safety. When installed correctly and in the appropriate environment, they have been proven to reduce the speed of vehicles. This is especially useful in areas where there are pedestrians or equipment that is at risk of being damaged.

Why do we need speed bumps?

According to HSE, The fatal injury rate in transportation and storage is around twice the All Industry rate.

There were 10 fatal injuries in 2020/21 in transportation and storage, in comparison with the annual average number of 13 fatalities for 2016/17-2020/21. 37% of deaths over the same five year period were classified as struck by a moving vehicle.

Speed bumps allow you to prevent these accidents by slowing down traffic and enforcing speed limits.

The Best Practice

Do you need speed bumps?

Investing in speed bumps and other safety equipment can help to develop more trust with employees, prevent the cost of employee accidents, and prevent damage to machinery.

You may want to consider installing speed bumps if you need to control the speed of vehicles or enforce speed limits in a private car park, especially around pedestrian walk ways.

Bear in mind that certain machinery or warehouse equipment cannot pass over bumps, such as large forklifts. They can also only be installed on roads where the speed limit is lower than 30mph, and at least 30 metres away from a zebra-controlled area.

How often do they need to be spaced out?

Speed bumps should be spaced out between 20 metres and 150 metres apart, with the average being around 70 metres. The longer the distance between them, the more likely vehicles are to speed up between bumps.

Required height and width

The average height is from 25 mm to 100 mm. The length should be 900mm at a minimum, and should not cover the entire road to allow other vehicles such as large emergency vehicles or bicycles to pass over the flat surface of the road.

The difference between commercial and domestic speed bumps, and which one you need

Commercial speed bumps are best for use in industrial workplaces. They are generally higher than domestic and reduce vehicles to a typical 10 mph operating speed.

Alternatively, domestic speed bumps are smaller in height and are best for use in car parks or areas where pedestrians are near. A typical 50mm speed bump reduces vehicles to an operating speed of 5 mph.

signs and lighting

Speed bumps should be clearly visible to avoid accidents or damage to vehicles. Most come with ​​high quality yellow and black finish with diamond grade reflectors for night-time visibility, such as Brandsafe’s.

It is also advisable to make sure bumps are under clear lighting and have proper signage on the approach.

Installation Guide

You should be able to install a speed bump in less than an hour. Simply mark the area that you want the speed bump to be with chalk. Your speed bump should be placed at a right angle to an imaginary line that runs down the centre of the road.

Measure where the bolt would be inserted into the pavement, and drill holes for each bolt, ensuring to clean up the area afterwards. Next, place the speed bump in the marked area and fasten with the bolts, ensuring that you tighten the bolts securely to make sure the speed bump does not move when travelled over.

The installation of speed bumps are certainly worth considering as an effective way to enforce the speed limit. We hope this guide on the UK regulations helped you to understand more about the government recommendations. For more information, visit the HSE website or call Brandsafe by email at sales@brandsafeprotection.com or by phone on +44 (0)1525 850222.