Today’s warehouse environments warrant reliable indoor safety barriers – a tough and dependable first line of defence against accidents.
With forklifts, pallet jacks and machinery littering the narrow aisles and congested areas, often unmanned, the right barrier system protects not just the workers but the valuable equipment and inventory from impacts.
When a single collision can result in thousands of pounds in damage, worker injuries and extended downtime, it’s a ripple that runs through the entire supply chain and hurts your bottom line.
Selecting effective warehouse safety barriers requires careful evaluation that goes way beyond just choosing the cheapest option available.
The most successful warehouse operators understand that strategic barrier placement and specification can mean the difference between smooth operations and emergency shutdowns.
So, we’ve identified five indoor barrier evaluation criteria that separate premium protection systems from inadequate alternatives.
Material strength and durability
The foundation of any effective barrier system lies wholly in its material composition and construction quality – without this, its efficacy bottoms out.
Industrial indoor barriers must reliably withstand repeated impacts from heavy equipment while maintaining structural integrity – not just today but over years of service.
Choose barriers that are made with high-grade steel with powder-coated finishes, which will prevent corrosion and wear.
Consider the gauge thickness to work with traffic patterns in your facility using heavier traffic areas made with thicker steel construction, such as 12-gauge or higher.
Consider a major distribution center where daily forklift traffic reaches 200+ movements per hour through the main aisles.
Here, lightweight barriers quickly showed stress fractures and required replacement within six months, while heavy-duty steel barriers maintained their protective function for over five years.
When evaluating indoor barriers, examine welded joints, base plate thickness, and overall frame construction.
Load-impact capacity and safety performance
Understanding the maximum force your barriers can absorb is of course crucial for preventing breakthrough incidents that will otherwies cause serious harm, and certainly equipment damage.
Quality manufacturers can provide specific impact ratings which are measured in foot-pounds of energy absorption. For standard warehouse applications, barriers should handle impacts of at least 10,000 foot-pounds without permanent deformation.
The consequences of inadequate barrier systems are clearly demonstrated by SIG Trading Limited, where a worker was seriously hurt when run over twice by a forklift truck in their Livingston warehouse.
An HSE investigation found that no arrangements were even in place to keep pedestrians and vehicles apart, resulting in a £36,000 fine for the company.
The injured worker required major surgery (six pins and two steel plates), which isn’t just a cost or a moral concern, but a morale concern too, with the rest of the workforce shook up and let down by this.
Visibility, marking standards and installation flexibility
A touch barrier is one thing, but we need to see it and be warned of dangers lurking. Barriers have a function before being struck which is to give an upfront warning.
Premium barrier systems incorporate bright safety colours at the very least – typically safety yellow or orange. It usually has reflective striping that remains visible under various lighting conditions.
Some facilities benefit from additional LED lighting too, particularly for 24/7 operations, proving the dividend of technological innovations.
Equally important is going to be the system’s adaptability to changing warehouse layouts. Modern warehouse safety barriers should offer modular installation so that it’s not only easy to set up, but easy to reconfiguration as storage patterns evolve.
Look for systems with adjustable mounting options and standardised connection points that enable rapid repositioning without specialised knowledge or tools.
At DHL’s UK distribution site, the logistics giant required “a health and safety solution to protect both its pedestrians and vehicles on site, ensuring each stream of traffic follows its own designated route.”
An installation team manufactured, supplied and installed the guardrail throughout the facility to separate vehicle and pedestrian traffic, along with the pedestrian guardrail to shield building equipment from impacts.
This safety system allowed DHL to maintain efficient operations while protecting both staff and infrastructure – and their distribution center is very busy.
Compliance and regulatory considerations
Industry regulations always change and get updated, so compliance verification is important to monitor to help you avoid costly violations and importantly, to preserve your insurance coverage.
The HSE guidance specifies minimum height requirements, (usually 1100mm for warehousing under Building Regulations and minimum 950mm for any general workplace activities), structural requirements, and marking requirements.
There are lots of facilities with very specific industry standards they must comply with. For example, food handling areas – which must follow the Food Standards Agency guidelines – or pharmaceuticals, which must meet MHRA pharmaceutical GMP standards.
As evidenced in some recent workplace safety research, companies that prioritised robust safety measures and infrastructure, not only saw improvements in worker retention, but with operational efficiency as well.
Barrier systems play a role in providing the safe, stable working environment that helps attract and retain skilled warehouse workers – of course a loss of motivation after an accident can be catastrophic and lead to turnover.
Before confirming any barrier specification, ensure your selected system meets the current standards and any industry-specific requirements. Documentation can then include any compliance certificates and load testing from accredited labs.
Taking action: Auditing your current barrier setup
The most sophisticated indoor barrier evaluation criteria means nothing without honest assessment of your current protection levels.
Walk your facility during the very peak operational hours, noting areas where equipment operates in close proximity to personnel, valuable equipment or structural elements.
Pay special attention to loading dock areas, intersection points, and any locations where sight lines are often limited.
Document any existing damage to current barriers or areas where operators frequently request additional protection. These observations will guide your upgrade priorities and help justify investment in premium barrier systems.
It’s important not to wait for a costly incident to expose weaknesses in your protection strategy. Contact established suppliers who can provide site assessments and recommend barrier configurations tailored to your specific operational requirements. The investment in proper indoor safety barriers pays dividends through reduced insurance claims, worker confidence and uninterrupted operations.