You've invested in safety barriers to protect your people and equipment. But three months later, they're bent, cracked, or causing more problems than they solve.
We know how frustrating this is. You've done the right thing by prioritising safety, followed the procurement process, and allocated the budget. Yet somehow, your barrier system isn't delivering the protection you expected.
Every week, we visit UK warehouses where well-intentioned barrier installations have failed. Not because the concept was wrong, but because small, preventable flaws turned good intentions into costly headaches.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the five most common barrier problems we encounter during site visits, explain why they happen, and show you exactly how to avoid them from the start.
Contents:
Most barrier failures aren't random accidents. They're predictable consequences of five recurring mistakes we see across UK warehouses.
The pattern is always similar. A company identifies a safety risk, searches for barriers, compares prices, and installs what seems like a sensible solution. But within months, they're dealing with bent metal, cracked floors, or barriers that block operational efficiency.
Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, employers have a clear duty to provide adequate separation between pedestrians and workplace transport. But "adequate" doesn't mean "any barrier will do."
The key is understanding what makes barriers fail before installation, not after impact.
The Problem: Steel barriers in food production areas corrode within months. Basic plastic barriers shatter under FLT impact.
We regularly see steel barriers installed in environments where they simply cannot survive. Food processing plants, pharmaceutical facilities, and outdoor loading areas expose steel to moisture, chemicals, and temperature changes that guarantee corrosion.
On the other end of the spectrum, low-grade polymer barriers might look similar to high-performance alternatives, but they lack the impact resistance for heavy industrial use. When a 3-tonne FLT strikes a barrier rated for light impacts, the results are predictable and expensive.
How to Avoid This: Match your barrier material to your specific operating conditions.
For high-impact areas with FLTs and heavy machinery, polymer barriers engineered to PAS 13 standards provide superior energy absorption compared to rigid steel alternatives.
For corrosive or hygiene-critical environments, food-grade polymers resist chemicals and moisture while maintaining structural integrity.
Read more: Should I Choose Modular or Fixed Barriers for My Factory?
The Problem: Barriers that look strong in the brochure succumb to real-world impacts.
Many warehouse managers assume all barriers offer similar protection. But impact resistance varies dramatically between products, and most suppliers don't provide meaningful test data.
We've seen barriers that handle minor knocks but crumple when struck by a loaded FLT. Worse, some rigid systems transfer all impact energy to floor fixings, causing expensive concrete damage that extends far beyond the barrier itself.
How to Avoid This: Demand proper impact testing data and understand how barriers absorb energy.
Look for barriers tested to PAS 13 standards, which specify minimum impact resistance for workplace transport environments. But testing standards only tell part of the story.
Flexible polymer barriers absorb impact energy by deforming elastically then returning to their original position. This protects not just the barrier, but also the vehicle, floor, and surrounding infrastructure.
Rigid systems might seem stronger, but they often cause more expensive damage to everything except themselves.
The Problem: Barriers positioned where they block sightlines, create bottlenecks, or force dangerous workarounds.
Safety barriers shouldn't just prevent one type of accident - they should improve overall site safety. Poor placement can achieve the opposite.
Common placement mistakes include barriers that create blind corners where pedestrians and FLTs can't see each other, systems that force people to climb over or around protection, and installations that bottle-neck traffic flow.
How to Avoid This: Plan barrier placement around traffic flow, not just impact protection.
Walk your proposed barrier routes during active operations. Can pedestrians move naturally along protected walkways? Do FLT operators have clear sightlines at intersections? Are emergency exits still accessible?
Combine physical barriers with visual guidance systems. LED projected floor markings can enhance visibility around barrier systems without adding physical obstacles.
The Problem: Heavy steel barriers require deep floor fixings that damage concrete and create expensive repair bills.
Steel barrier systems typically require substantial concrete anchoring to handle impact forces. During installation, this means drilling, potential rebar damage, and concrete dust. During impacts, it means stress concentrations that can crack floors around anchor points.
We regularly visit sites where barrier impacts have caused floor damage costing more than the original barrier installation.
How to Avoid This: Choose barrier systems that minimise or eliminate floor fixings.
Modern polymer barrier systems often use weighted bases or interlocking designs that provide stability without permanent floor modifications. This protects your infrastructure investment and makes future layout changes much simpler.
For leased facilities, avoiding permanent floor modifications can prevent expensive reinstatement costs when operations relocate.
The Problem: Barriers that can't adapt to evolving operations become expensive obstacles.
Warehouses aren't static. Product lines change, storage layouts evolve, and seasonal demands shift traffic patterns. Barriers installed for one layout can become problematic as operations develop.
Fixed steel systems welded or cemented in place offer no flexibility for operational changes. This forces businesses to choose between operational efficiency and safety protection.
How to Avoid This: Install modular systems designed for easy reconfiguration.
Modular polymer barriers can be disassembled, relocated, and extended without specialist tools or contractors. This means your safety investment can grow and adapt with your business.
Document your barrier layout and keep spare components available for quick modifications. Plan potential future configurations during initial design.
Avoiding these common flaws starts with understanding that barrier selection is a system design challenge, not a product purchasing decision.
The most successful installations we see follow a structured approach: assess the specific risks and operating environment, define performance requirements including impact resistance, corrosion resistance, and adaptability, then evaluate how different solutions integrate with existing operations.
Consider the total cost of ownership, including installation, maintenance, and future modifications. A barrier system that costs twice as much upfront but lasts five times longer while requiring no maintenance often represents better value.
Work with suppliers who can provide site-specific design guidance, proper testing data, and ongoing support for layout changes.
Ready to avoid these costly mistakes?
Get a free barrier assessment from our team. We'll identify potential flaws in your current setup and recommend proven solutions that protect your people, equipment, and budget.