When to Utilize the Safety Bollard

While all bollards are designed to promote public well-being to some extent, a safety bollard is intended specifically for this purpose.  Because of this, its construction is likely to be both permanent in nature and highly resistant to efforts to dislodge it.

While this can be beneficial in many ways, it increases the likelihood of damage to motor vehicles, cyclists, and even pedestrians that strike them.  It can also impede the entrance of emergency responders, such as fire and police units.  Given these facts, safety bollards should only be used when the circumstances warrant.  Such situations include the following:

1. When access to a particular area is likely to be especially hazardous.  A prime example is the typical construction site, where heavy equipment, falling objects, and scattered debris all pose significant dangers to unauthorized persons.  Scenes of recent motor vehicles collisions, places where sinkholes have opened, and areas where industrial accidents have occurred also fall into this category.
2. When ensuring the proper flow of traffic is vital to human safety.  For example, hospital entrances include dedicated lanes that are only meant to be accessed by ambulances.  However, on frequent occasions, misguided motorists drive their vehicles into these areas, preventing emergency vehicles from arriving.  In such locations, the prospect of damage to privately owned vehicles is outweighed by the potential harm caused to the sick and injured.  Hence, using safety bollards is thoroughly justified.
3. When a site is a likely target of terrorists or other criminals.  Nuclear facilities, for example, use safety bollards as well as other impediments to traffic.  This is because tight control of the location’s perimeter is of paramount importance to public safety.  Other locations at high risk of attack include police stations in high-crime areas, military installations, and hydroelectric plants. 

In summary, while a safety bollard is far from an ideal solution in many instances, it can serve a vital role in protecting sensitive areas from unauthorized access.  Use in accordance with sound judgment should be continued.

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