Workplace transport is one of the most serious risk areas in any warehouse or yard. The single most effective control is keeping people and vehicles apart, so they never need to share the same space at the same time. This guide covers the practical equipment that makes segregation work.
Before buying anything, map where people walk and where vehicles drive, and find the points where those paths cross: doorways, corners, loading areas and crossing points. Those pinch points are where collisions happen and where protection matters most. The aim is to give pedestrians a continuous, protected route from entrance to workstation.
Impact-absorbing pedestrian barriers are the core of segregation. They create a clear physical line between the walkway and the vehicle area, and their construction flexes on impact to protect people, the vehicle and the barrier itself. Use them to run continuous walkways and to guard the crossing points you identified.
Bollards protect specific assets and corners from vehicle strikes, and come in fixed, galvanised heavy duty and fold-down versions. Where you need to control access but keep the option to open a route, a removable security post lifts out from a ground socket and leaves the base flush so there is no trip hazard. Reflective banding and hi-vis finishes help both drivers and pedestrians see protection in low light.
Segregation works better when vehicle movement is predictable. One-way systems reduce conflict, and surface mounted flow plates can enforce direction at entrances and yards by allowing movement one way and deterring the other. Combine physical barriers with clear floor markings and signage for a complete plan.
Physical segregation is the most effective control: continuous, impact-absorbing pedestrian barriers that give people a protected walkway, with extra protection at crossing points, doorways and corners where paths meet.
Barriers built to flex on impact rather than transmit the full force. This protects the pedestrian, the vehicle and the barrier, and is more forgiving than rigid steel in a collision.
They control access to an area but lift out from a ground socket when a route needs to open. The base sits flush with the floor when the post is removed, so there is no trip hazard.
Western Industrial Products supplies thousands of stock lines with certified UK manufacturing and guarantees of up to 10 years on selected lines, backed by over 45 years of experience. Contact our team or request a quote to order.
