Security Barriers
Armco barriers are a flexible tool that can be used for many different purposes, including as security barriers. Physical security is incredibly important to many organisations, protecting not only members of your team from harm or distress but also onsite equipment and supplies from theft or vandalism.
Many different sectors share the same security concerns. At Armco Direct, we provide high-quality security barriers for installation at sites all over the UK including warehouses, construction sites, farms, car parks, factories, racetracks and petrol stations.
Armco security barriers are modular barrier systems that we are able to customise to specific requirements of the sites where they will be installed.
Nonetheless, before you do settle on us as your supplier of security barriers, you might wonder exactly what practical benefits your organisation could reap as a result of security barrier installation!
Why Do You Need Security Barriers?
In our increasingly digitised world, it would be understandable if many of your thoughts about corporate security have turned to cybersecurity. However, you could be running the risk of unjustly overlooking the issue of physical security.
Ultimately, for your company, physical security is just as critical as online security. One simple reason why is that even the foreboding sight of a physical barrier can serve as a powerful deterrent to the trespassing attempts people might otherwise have made on the business premises.
Security barriers can also make a good impression on your employees. This is because additional security measures are a reassuring sight that, when present, are a symbol that you perceive your workers as valuable and are taking their best interests – and the safety of their property, such as a car parked on site, for example – seriously.
Of course, this effect works with customers or clients, too — if, indeed, your company is the kind that often welcomes them in person on the premises.
Another benefit of security barriers is, quite simply, the enhanced professionalism that they can bring to your brand’s image. Even people who just casually pass the premises can, from seeing the barriers, perceive that your business is committed to following security best practices.
All in all, security barriers can make it easier for your business to stand out — in the right way — from other businesses based locally. Giving people peace of mind can be a valuable first step toward encouraging them to do business with you.
Sectors and Businesses That Make Use of Security Barriers
Not all security breaches are intentional. Sometimes, pedestrians could wander onto your premises without even realising that it is technically a workplace. Meanwhile, some members of your workforce could inadvertently enter certain areas where their entry is not actually authorised.
Installing security barriers is therefore crucial to maintain site safety.
Warehouse and Factories
Occurrences of people wandering onto your premises can be especially dangerous in warehouses and industrial factories, which pose notoriously high risks to health and safety. If you are responsible for any of these sites, what you need is a visible barrier system clearly indicating that access is restricted.
This barrier system could constitute a pavement barrier warning pedestrians potentially at risk of straying too close to a danger zone. Even when pedestrians would remain physically capable of bypassing a security barrier, it can act as a crucial deterrent to this actually happening.
Open-Air Sites
On open-air sites, such as construction sites, it can be especially tricky for pedestrians to work out where the development land gives way to public land where they are able to walk safely. Fortunately, the implementation of a pedestrian safety barrier can lower this risk.
It can, for example, reduce the likelihood of a vehicle colliding with a passerby. This would obviously be especially important at sites where vehicles are bound to be in use; think not only construction sites but also racetracks, car parks, loading bays and petrol stations.
Power Plants and Manufacturing Plants
There are other places — like power plants and manufacturing plants — that can already look dangerous from a distance but experience such heavy traffic that the addition of a security barrier can remain imperative for safeguarding pedestrians.
There is no doubt that security and safety often go hand in hand. One good example of where this would be the case is a car park you maintain for use by people visiting your workplace, as accidents that occur within your car park could reflect badly on your firm.
This scenario makes a strong case for traffic segregation barriers. At Armco, our wide range varies from crash barrier beams to robust safety bollards — and, due to their yellow powder coating, can be seen easily even when it gets dark.
Strong, Durable Barriers for Your Security Needs
Needless to say, the security barriers you invest in need to be physically resilient against blows to the structure. This is why we specialise in providing products that are manufactured from solid steel as well as galvanised to the BS EN 1461 standard.
ISO 1461 – as this British Standard is otherwise known – as the full name of BS EN ISO 1461:2009 and covers ‘hot dip galvanised coatings on fabricated iron and steel articles’, as clarified by the British Standards Institution (BSI) – the UK’s national standards body.
This particular standard specifies how fabricated steel articles should be dipped in a zinc melt to form a protective coating. As a result of the hot dip galvanising process, numerous zinc-iron layers take form, sparked by a metallurgical reaction between the zinc and the iron.
The result, when it comes to our own solid steel products, is a robust coating integral to the steel itself. Hot dip galvanisation heals itself when damaged and acts as the base metal’s first line of defence. The coating also has a maintenance-free lifespan of at least 50 years, in general.
At Armco Direct, though, our products are even more robust – all of our galvanised steel products come with an 85-year life expectancy. This reflects the faith we have in our manufacturing process and the durability of our product line.
This staying power means that, by choosing us as your supplier of security barriers, you can save your future self time that could have ended up instead being spent on reordering replacement barriers just a few years down the line. It also makes it easier for you to jump a fair few health and safety hurdles.
Basically, we have done the hard work of making sure our products reach the level of durability you have the right to expect. All of these barriers have been built with the properties required to ensure that our customers can easily pass health and safety audits.
The Flexibility of Armco Barriers
Ironically, while our steel barriers come with a commendable level of strength, it wouldn’t always necessarily be in your interest for these barriers to be as strong and rigid as possible. If this comes to you as a major surprise, you should consider the example of crash barriers…
Crash barriers, as the term already implies, are intended to prevent vehicles from crashing. Furthermore, they are intended to do so without inadvertently bringing up new safety risks arising simply from the vehicle’s impact on the physical boundary.
Paradoxical though it might initially sound, crash barriers — including those from Armco Barriers — are designed to slightly deform when hit by a vehicle. To be more exact, the barriers will bend and crumple before — if they are indeed strained to this extent — eventually snapping.
This is because a barrier that is subtly flexible in this way will prevent the vehicle from being brought to a sharp stop. Therefore, our crash barriers can reduce the ‘g-force’ involved in a collision and consequently help to protect passengers in the vehicle.
Basically, collisions are far likelier to cause serious damage or injury when the vehicle slams into a solid object, such as a tree or a building, rather than a softer obstacle; think a hedgerow or one of the safety barriers we can provide.
The less malleable the obstacle is, the higher the impact of the g-force when a vehicle collides with that obstacle. We have kept this in mind when designing and making the crash barriers that are in our stock and, for this reason, are ready to be delivered to customers at short notice.
The flexibility of our security barriers can be attributed to the unique corrugated shape of the galvanised steel comprising them. Though steel itself is very robust, when structures are made from it, a degree of flexibility can be introduced to the material.
It is also convenient that all of the barriers — including crash barriers — we offer are designed and manufactured in sections rather than as a complete barrier. This means that, if an Armco barrier you own gets damaged, chances are that only one small section of it will need replacing.
Affordable Options for Safety and Security
The modular structure of our barriers ensures that, in the event that the barrier sustains damage, you might only need to source one replacement component for it.
Even if the damage is more extensive, you might only need to buy a few beams and posts to give yourself everything you need for fully repairing and restoring the barrier.
One especially encouraging implication here is that, if you were to order multiple security barriers from the Armco Direct team, you could realistically expect these barriers to be relatively easy and inexpensive for you to maintain in the long run.
Hence, security barriers from Armco Direct are capable of delivering a stunningly impressive return on investment. Purchasing a set of these barriers for covering your entire premises can assist you in reining in your maintenance expenditure without curbing onsite security.
Armco barriers are also able to indirectly save your organisation money due to the ease with which these structures can be assembled. Less time is spent on putting together these barriers — or even just adding the occasional new piece to them for repair purposes.
In fact, you can start saving time even just from the moment you place your order with us. This is due to our 48-delivery pledge for our products, which we make to customers based anywhere in the UK (excluding Northern Ireland and the Highlands).
We know that you are likely to, for the sake of safeguarding the security of your premises, need to have these barriers or components with you as soon as possible. That’s why we have been committed to streamlining our delivery window.
Your cost-saving efforts with Armco can, however, start even earlier than this. We can provide you with a quote – completely free of charge – right off the bat.
To get an idea of the cost of your future barriers, get in touch with the team today for your free, no-obligation quote or calculate your precise needs with our handy Armco Barrier calculator.
Easily Replaceable Security Barriers
A security barrier, once fitted, can naturally be vulnerable to potential damage. Just consider how a vehicle security barrier could cushion a blow from a collision with a vehicle but itself incur a dent or tear in the process.
Of course, in this instance, damage to the barrier could be far less worrying than damage to the vehicle — especially since crash barriers from Armco are actually intended to bend, twist and crumple before they have a chance of snapping.
There’s also the fact that, if damaged, Armco barriers — whether of the crash variety or otherwise — are easy to replace. Let’s picture a scene where just two sections of your Armco barrier are damaged. You could then just use our website to order replacements for those damaged parts rather than having to pay for a completely new barrier.
Maybe you need a crash barrier beam and a floor anchor or two? We also stock a range of accessories including fish tail ends and pedestrian ends. Whatever you do need from our online store, we have made it easy for you to obtain a dedicated quote for each component.
From our site, you can also download spec sheets that give you a better idea of what you are getting with what you buy. If you are concerned about how well replacement pieces bought from Armco would fit into your existing security barrier, these sheets could put your mind at rest.
If you are currently at the point of wanting to buy a new security barrier, one reason for you to buy it from Armco is that our free-to-use online calculator would allow you to obtain a detailed online list of every part you need in minutes.
It would be worthwhile for you to save a copy of this parts list before you apply for a free quote from us.
The Different Surfaces Armco Barriers Can Be Used On
For fixing Armco barriers securely to a surface, you can choose between two different types of post that we sell:
- Dig-in barrier posts
- Bolt-down barrier posts
Which option you should go for will depend on the kind of surface where you would like the barriers to be erected.
Dig-In Posts
Dig-in posts are — as you might have already gathered from the term itself — posts that you would install by digging up the ground area designated for them. The posts are inserted into the opening that has been dug, allowing for a firm foundation that keeps the posts safely and securely in position.
There are, however, many different models of dig-in post — meaning that, before you settle on one, it would pay for you to ascertain what shape the overall barrier is set to take and where.
Let’s assume, say, that the barrier will be for a loading bay or construction site — in which case, rolled steel joist (RSJ) posts could fit the bill. Due to their extreme durability and individual shape, these posts can provide especially good protection against heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
If the area that needs securing has a mix of vehicles and pedestrians, ARMDI-1200 dig-in posts would be ideal, as they are capable of withstanding blows from extremely heavy weights in the event of an accident. Most of our dig-in posts are also available in various sizes.
Bolt-Down Posts
On the other hand, bolt-down posts anchor barriers to hard surfaces. In this respect, while dig-in posts are typically used outdoors, bolt-down posts can make sense both indoors — such as in warehouses — and outdoors, like on concrete slabs in service yards.
Importantly, bolt-down posts can only be attached to substantial solid surfaces. So, while a reinforced concrete slab would be a strong candidate, tarmac is out of the question. A bolt-down post, when installed, is sat directly on the surface and secured in place with floor anchor bolts.
With bolt-down posts, exactly which model you ought to buy will depend on its intended purpose. If cars and LGVs (large goods vehicles) are often used in the area you are eager to secure, then this 610 bolt-down post is a great option to consider.
The 560 bolt-down shock-absorbing post would be a sensible choice if your site frequently has forklift trucks in operation. However, if that site is a loading bay area where LGVs frequently stop, stick to the 610 bolt-down post above.
Why Armco Barriers Are the Right Option for Your Security Needs
If you have only recently started shopping for security barriers, you could understandably feel confused by the myriad of options that appear to be available. You might have reacted with bewilderment to many of the daunting technical-looking terms that are thrown around.
This is why we have already addressed a few of them — like ‘crash barriers’ and ‘safety barriers’ — and later we will clarify what precisely is meant by ‘dig-in posts’ and ‘bolt-down posts’. However, there is an especially simple way you can clear much of the confusion…
If you remain none the wiser about the type of posts your barrier requires, feel free to contact the Armco Direct team for guidance on the matter.
Once you have this information at hand, you can proceed to use our online calculator tool to find out what parts you require for a barrier system. Using what you put into the calculator, our expert team will build you a bespoke quote taking account of your specific needs – this quote is then valid for 30 days, meaning you don’t need to rush on your decision.
This gets to the heart of why you should approach Armco in particular when looking to source a new security barrier system. We are dedicated to stripping complexity out of what could otherwise have proved a cumbersome process of ordering complete security solutions.
We have in-depth expertise in the security field but also know that businesses face an array of budget constraints. For this reason, we endeavour to maintain affordability with not only our main barrier offering but also our range of barrier accessories and fixings.
Starting Your Security Barrier Project with Armco Direct
It goes without saying that, once your security barriers have been bought and installed, you will be able to breathe a sigh of relief. After all, each day that goes by without these barriers in place will be another day where security holes are left unfilled.
This is why we have a 48-hour delivery pledge for customers who, when ordering from us, specify a delivery location in England or Wales. It’s also why we have done what we can to ensure that you are able to obtain a free quote from us within two hours of requesting it. Ordering from us truly couldn’t be any easier!
You can apply for a quote by giving us a ring on 01530 839 955. After we hand you a quote, you can take heart that the price specified in it will remain locked and valid for another 30 days, saving you from having to rush your decision of whether to accept that quote or not.
In the past, you might have had bad experiences with trying to order security barriers from other companies. Perhaps their communication has left a lot to be desired, or they didn’t have materials in stock when you really needed them?
You don’t have to fear either problem arising when you task Armco Direct with fulfilling your order for security barriers. We have all of the pieces for these barriers ready so that we can deliver them straight away — and our site has further advice on how to choose suitable parts for your barriers.
To find out more about ordering your security barriers with Armco Direct, get in touch with our team today.