Safety Bollards

The brightly-colored, vertical barriers seen in front of buildings, lining crosswalks, or within parking lots are called safety bollards. They protect vehicles from entering pedestrian areas, safeguard against a vehicle crashing into a building, and guide pedestrian traffic. Their visibility is intended to prevent accidents and restrict entrance to unsafe areas.

There are several categories of safety bollards designed for specific applications. Bollards are offered in different color schemes, materials, and designs based on their use.

Types of Safety Bollards

There are several categories of safety bollards available. Here are five types of safety bollards and their uses:

1. Fixed safety Bollards: These bollards are also considered permanent bollards and are embedded in the ground. They are sturdy and sound, and often used as a security barrier. Fixed bollards protect against any vehicles used to breach a building such as a government building or simply to keep motorized vehicles off a walking path. These bollards are often metal pipes filled with cement and then cemented in the ground.
2. Removable safety bollards: Removable bollards are removed when the closed-off area is opened up for access. They’re secured by a locking device that’s removed when they’re no longer needed. Either padlocks or inside locking devices are used; padlocks for an industrial or construction area and inside locks for an area where aesthetics are a consideration. These are most often used on a construction site or to mark off a path for a race or parade and are not embedded in the ground.
3. Automatic or manual safety bollards: When traffic or pedestrian access restriction is only needed certain times, automatic bollards or telescopic bollards rise out of the ground to block traffic and then retract back underground when no longer needed. Automatic bollards work with pneumatics, hydraulics, or with electrical controls and are typically made from steel with a choice of color finishes. These bollards are installed permanently in areas such as a parking garage or parking lot that is open only during certain events or the entrance to a public facility that opens and closes at particular times. Manual bollards work on the same premise but are raised and lowered without power or hydraulics.
4. Flexible plastic safety bollards: To mark off temporary parking spaces or temporarily designate an area for pick up or drop off, durable, flexible plastic bollards are useful to delineate lanes. They’re usually made of high-impact plastic and can be backed into or run over without damage. These bollards are attached to the ground with temporary fasteners and are fitted with an elastomer or spring system inside so they’ll pop back up after impact. Flexible bollards are used for vehicular traffic or as crowd control bollards for foot traffic.
5. Decorative safety bollards: You may see decorative bollards outside a sports equipment store shaped like a brown basketball, painted a familiar white line design. Some retail store decorative bollards may be a solid color square so they can be decorated according to the season. Still, other decorative security bollards can be found at a pier shaped like a rope tie-off for a ship. These are usually permanent bollards and made from high-impact cement or iron. Although decorative, they still provide safety from vehicles.

Hydrant Fenders

One particular type of security bollard is a hydrant fender. These fenders are made from steel pipe for strength and durability as they’re used to protect fire hydrants. Hydrant fenders are placed in sets of two or four around a fire hydrant. They look the same as other bollards but provide a specific purpose.

Fire hydrants were called fire cocks years ago and provide a connection to water for firefighters during an emergency. Underground fire hydrants were first used in Europe and Asia in the 18th century and although still in use, the 19th century welcomed above-ground fire hydrants. These new fire hydrants created a safety problem; if these life-saving tools for firefighters were damaged, a fire emergency could cause many fatalities. Most of the workings of a fire hydrant are underground, but bollards offer protection for the upper part.

Fire hydrants are painted particular colors to indicate the amount of water pressure available to firefighters, how fast the water is released, and if the water is potable or not. The body remains yellow, but the cap colors are painted particular colors to tell firefighters what kind of water flow is available and if it's potable.

Bollards are often overlooked as a nuisance to drivers and people but they are essential for safety and protection in public areas, building sites, or inside large warehouses.