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.

* General unwellness
Oddly enough, the first signs of an imminent heart attack are often not the garden-variety chest pain or numbness in arms or legs, but rather a general feeling of unwellness. From just feeling crummy for no particular reason to nausea or dizziness, many workers do not take pre-heart attack signs seriously, but rather as a sense that something about their body is “a bit off”. If someone on your site complains that they need to sit down due to dizziness, or they just need “to take a break” until nausea passes, give the person a low-dose aspirin and call a doctor.
* Shortness of breath
Sudden shortness of breath is one of the most common signs that a heart attack is on the way. This “tight” feeling in the chest can definitely be accompanied by chest pain and discomfort (see our next point), but many times it is not. If one of your normally healthy construction team member complains that they can’t seem to get enough air, see this as a possible lead-up to a heart attack.
* Chest discomfort
Chest discomfort can take many forms, but most people typically think the chest discomfort associated with a heart attack is pain. Some construction site workers do feel chest pain before a heart attack, but most likely that discomfort takes the form of pressure in the chest or a feeling of fullness. This discomfort can come and go, which is often why your concrete coring or flat sawing worker might feel fullness in the chest, have that feeling disappear, and then work as if nothing is wrong. Any discomfort that comes and goes should be seen as a potential precursor to cardiac arrest.
* Pain or discomfort in upper body
When your demolition or wall sawing worker starts to feel pain or discomfort in the torso area, it’s time to prep for a potential attack. Common places workers feel pain and discomfort include the neck, back, stomach, one or both arms, or even the jaw. If a team member complains about non-muscular pain in their back or stomach, there’s a good chance that they may be at risk of an attack. This discomfort may come and go, but even if it disappears suddenly, you need to pay close attention and prep for what may come next.

Even though vigilance is the best way to prevent heart attacks, there is extreme risk of them happening before help can arrive. The only real way to protect you and your workers is to learn CPR to keep the victim alive before medical professionals arrive on the scene and treat the victim.

Call Team Rice for safety training on CPR & First Aid. In just a few hours, the Rice General’s certified safety team can visit your site and teach your team lifesaving CPR, as well as ways to recognize and possibly stop the first signs of stroke or cardiac arrest.
You can reach us at safetyfirst@ricegeneral.com.

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