Protect people and vehicles where routes meet

Barriers may be the right answer, but the better decision starts with the traffic situation. Where do people walk, where do vehicles move, where does reversing happen, where is visibility weak, and what could be hit?

Depending on the area, the right direction may be a pedestrian guardrail, an impact barrier, a bollard, a gate, a controlled crossing point, active warning or a route change.

Floor markings work well when the main job is guidance: showing a route, a crossing point, the edge of a work area or a movement direction.

• the area is visible and easy to understand;
• pedestrians and vehicles are not forced into the same narrow route;
• there are no frequent impacts at the same point;
• the marked rule is followed during the shift.

If a vehicle can strike a person, rack, door, column, machine or loading bay, markings become a visual signal only. Physical separation, impact protection or active warning should then be considered.

Physical separation becomes relevant when people and vehicles share the same route, intersections, aisle exits, doors, loading bays or work areas. It matters even more when vehicles carry loads, reverse often, have limited visibility or pass close to racking, machines, doors and places where people stop to work.

Check whether the route can be separated, whether a gate or controlled crossing is needed, whether speed should be reduced and whether enough working space remains. Markings can support discipline; physical protection may be the main control when contact is too close.

A pedestrian guardrail guides people and keeps them away from vehicle flow. An impact barrier is used where the energy of a vehicle strike must be absorbed, deflected or managed.

• pedestrian guardrail: guidance and separation for people;
• impact barrier: protection on vehicle routes and exposed zones;
• bollard, rack or corner protection: targeted protection for a vulnerable point;
• active warning: when visibility, reaction time or access is the critical factor.

The choice depends on vehicle type, speed, mass, turning path and the asset or person being protected.

Active risk control means detection, warning, signalling, speed reduction, access control or monitoring at a point where behaviour needs to change. It can be useful at blind corners, intersections, warehouse exits, noisy areas, AGV/AMR routes or gates where people and vehicles notice each other too late.

Outdoor manoeuvring areas, loading bays, gates, industrial parking areas and routes for trucks or vans can have the same signals as indoor areas: people near vehicles, poor visibility, exposed infrastructure and frequent impacts.

Outdoors, the decision also has to account for rain, ice, drainage, lighting, level changes, large turning circles and anchoring conditions. What works as a floor marking indoors may need physical protection, extra visibility or access control outside.

PAS 13 gives practical guidance for safety barriers used in workplace traffic management and includes a test-method approach for impact resilience. UNI/TS 11886-1:2022 and UNI/TR 11886-2:2022 can also support discussions around selection, classification and installation. Treat them as technical references for better questions; final suitability still depends on the product, installation and real application.

The route and exposed points should be clear before protection is selected.

• pedestrian and vehicle routes;
• vehicle types, approximate speed and transported load;
• blind spots, gates, loading bays and intersections;
• what needs protection: rack, door, column, wall or machine;
• history of impacts, repairs or EHS observations;
• floor or outdoor surface, anchoring, cleaning, maintenance and emergency access.