{"id":23855,"date":"2022-03-01T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T14:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/?p=23855"},"modified":"2025-09-11T09:34:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T14:34:44","slug":"total-protection-traffic-barriers-and-pedestrians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/01\/total-protection-traffic-barriers-and-pedestrians\/","title":{"rendered":"Total Protection &#8211; Industrial Facility Traffic Barrier Factors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 500px; height: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/railand-rack2.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of warehouse with guardrail installed to protect pallet rack.\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Most industrial facilities <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/category\/183\/barriers-rails\">utilize barriers<\/a> to protect pedestrians, inventory, structure and equipment. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/19\/the-warehouse-managers-guide-to-walking-around-pallet-racks\/\">When you walk around<\/a> you will see these (mostly) yellow barriers installed in highly-trafficked or other zones where forklift impacts are possible. It&#8217;s a matter of safety. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/laws-regs\/regulations\/standardnumber\/1910\/1910.178\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OSHA forklift and powered industrial truck regulations<\/a> lack specific guidelines when it comes to barriers, but there are best practices to consider.<\/p>\n<p>The options depend on your specific operating environment. Finding the right system (or set of systems) is important, so it&#8217;s a matter of this: what do you need your barriers to do?<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<aside style=\"padding: 10px 20px 15px 25px; margin-bottom: 50px; border-radius: 15px; border: 2px solid #E4DDDD; margin: 4px 10px 4px 10px; box-shadow: 0 4px 8px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2), 0 6px 20px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.19);\" data-type=\"summary\">\n<h4>TL;DR \u2013 Industrial traffic barriers protect people, assets &amp; workflow<\/h4>\n<p>Barriers in warehouses and factories serve more than one purpose: they separate forklifts from pedestrians, shield equipment from costly damage, and help direct both foot and vehicle traffic for smoother flow. When evaluating barrier options, consider what you\u2019re protecting, environmental conditions, and impact forces from vehicles. Effective barrier systems save lives, prevent downtime, lower insurance costs, and reinforce a culture of safety by visibly prioritizing worker protection.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>It&#8217;s all about protection<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"float: right; width: 100%; max-width: 250px; height: auto; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/FlexCore_Guardrail_Warehouse4.jpg\" alt=\"flexible guardrail in a facility\" \/>Outfitting your facility with the right barriers means you should develop an understanding of each barrier&#8217;s role and mission.<\/p>\n<h4>Before you decide, ask yourself these questions:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What are you protecting?<\/strong> This will make a significant difference in your choices. For instance, barriers with gates or access points could be needed for pedestrian walkways. Other types of barriers can be solid guards that never require access.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What type of environment will barriers be placed in?<\/strong> High or low temperatures, moisture, or other factors may affect your choices.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What angles of approach and impact zones will you need to consider?<\/strong> Determining the weight and travel speeds of the vehicles involved in day-to-day operations may change the specifications for your barrier project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p><em>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/03\/steel-guard-rails-and-impact-ratings\/\">Guardrails and Impact Ratings\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Four key reasons to add barriers<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 600px; height: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/flexible-rail-floor.jpg\" alt=\"&quot;Flexible\" \/><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Pedestrian protection<\/strong> &#8211; Workers, site visitors and other people should be your top priority. Providing a visual pathway for people to follow and for your motorized carts and forklifts to be aware of is an important step in reducing the amount of forklift\/pedestrian accidents that could happen. Well-implemented barriers save lives, reduce downtime, affect worker compensation rates, insurance costs, and other factors. Simply put, separating people and traffic with hard barriers is key.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Safeguard equipment<\/strong> &#8211; Barriers to shield high-profile equipment and machinery is also critical for safety and operational efficiency. Barriers keep your assets safe from forklift impacts that can shut down your entire operation. This saves costly repairs, replacements and headaches.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Traffic routing<\/strong> &#8211; Using barriers to effectively route traffic is a smart way to be safer and more efficient. Directing foot and vehicle traffic in certain directions <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/03\/when-it-comes-to-order-picking-dont-walk-the-walk\/\">shortens walking distances<\/a> between processes and reduces forklift-pedestrian interactions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Enhance safety<\/strong> &#8211; Well-planned barrier systems contribute to the overall sense of safety in your facility. This is not something to think of lightly, as reinforcing this culture can contribute to adherence to company safety policies, and employee buy-in to the safety atmosphere. Bright yellow barriers and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/category\/216\/guard-rail-systems\">guard rail<\/a> around your facility show your employees and visitors you&#8217;re serious about safety&#8230;.and that can breed further compliance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>These benefits are just the start. Evaluating your current warehouse for additional protection is a key way to economically increase safety. Consider areas like end of rack rows, building columns, machinery, work cells, pedestrian lanes and more.<\/p>\n<h3>More resources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/09\/where-to-add-warehouse-guardrails\/\">Where to add warehouse guardrails<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/07\/spot-the-mark-why-floor-marking-is-essential\/\">Why floor marking is essential<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/07\/guard-rail-steel-vs-flexible-poly\/\">Guard rail: steel vs flexible poly<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"padding: 20px; border-radius: 15px; border: 2px solid #E4DDDD; margin: 4px 10px 4px 10px; box-shadow: 0 4px 8px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2), 0 6px 20px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.19);\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/uploads\/brochures\/warehouse-guardrail-guide.pdf\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"float: right; width: 100%; max-width: 200px; height: auto; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 18px;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Guardrail-Guide.jpg\" alt=\"Use the Cisco-Eagle guard rail guide\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-8\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<h3>Download our Guard Rail Guide<\/h3>\n<p>Guard Rail and barriers offer key protection for both workers and equipment in any environment. Our guard rail guide offers insight into the different safety options available, and how to specify each for your working conditions. Check out our guide for offerings and applications, along with expert tips from our employee-owners.<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/uploads\/brochures\/warehouse-guardrail-guide.pdf\"><strong><em>Download the guide today<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adding barriers and guard rail to a facility can help reduce forklift\/pedestrian accidents while enforcing a culture of safety. We review the main reasons to install barriers for maximum protection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21585,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-23855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-safety"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2027-04-23 01:20:52","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21585"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23855"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32884,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23855\/revisions\/32884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23855"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=23855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}