Bollards for Safety
“Safety First” is the universal motto of life. Matching the global appeal of this message are the unassuming bollards, completely apt for providing accident free environment at most locales including residential communities, commercial spaces, remediation sites, construction areas, docking yards, farms, eateries, museums, schools, hospitals, malls, government offices and other public and private spaces.
Bollards are effective visual deterrents. They stimulate the inherent human impulse to avoid accident/ injury causing objects. As a result of this impulse, the presence of bollards prompts humans to circumvent them and be more aware of surroundings. Not surprisingly, bollards are appropriate in regulating access to buildings, making people fall in queues at popular public areas, preventing illegal parking and keeping drivers away from pedestrian only areas. Additionally, bollards provide protection from unruly drivers, ram-raiding, terrorist activities and burglary. Bollards are also effective in protecting electrical panels and other bulky equipment that cannot be saved from harm by other means.
The huge variety of bollards available in the market makes sure there is a bollard to suit every safeguarding need. For instance, lightweight and durable plastic bollards are suitable for averting illegal parking, warning oncoming drivers of construction work going on in the vicinity, providing safe pathways, and diverting and managing traffic. They may also be used to save crop from cattle and other animals. At the same time, bollards can be used to prevent cattle from going astray from their designated area within a farm.
Heavy bollards, made of stainless steel or cement, are used in security sensitive areas to prevent unlawful entry. Such bollards may even injure persistent rule breakers. Heavy planters have been used extensively as bollards in pedestrian intensive areas to ensure safety of those walking by and at the same time providing them with pleasing aesthetics.
Depending on requirement, bollards may be temporarily or permanently installed. Permanently installed bollards also come in retractable versions which are best suited for dynamic situations requiring lowered or enhanced levels of safety at different times. Retractable bollards are ideal for converting two-way streets into one-way streets and vice versa as deemed necessary. Similarly, retractable bollards may be used to allow entry only to authorized vehicles.
Made of sturdy materials, bollards are easy to maintain. Mundane looking cement bollards can be covered with protective sleeves that typically come in high visibility colors. Helping consumers avoid the monotony of using simple bollards are manufacturers who are open to customizing these versatile safety devices to suit client requirement. Keeping in line with this philosophy, safety bollards are now fabricated in large number of shapes, colors and finishes. Manufacturers may even match bollards to the color and general theme of the installation site. Company names, logos and/or relevant signs make for more meaningful bollards. In addition to providing safety, this variety in bollard types and manufacturing materials ascertains that after installation bollards mingle with the surroundings without becoming a source of distractions.
