What are Polymer Barriers and Why Do They Matter?

Every safety barrier is designed to protect people, assets and property. Facilities, operations and safety managers make sure that happens as reliably and cost-effectively as possible.

There’s no shortage of potential solutions — and there’s a lot to consider. Application, safety concerns, budget and other variables factor into the decision-making process.

Materials matter as much as style of barrier. Most know what to expect with steel, concrete and other traditional products.

There are new safety barrier technologies on the market, though. Let’s take a closer look at polymer.

What is a polymer barrier?

Polymer barriers are made up of a high-density blend of impactable plastics. The combination of attributes that distinguish polymer from other barrier materials on the market includes:

• Flexibility: lightweight, polymer absorbs impacts, bends and returns to its original shape
• Versatility: multiple models are available for several different applications
• Resilience: polymer takes multiple impacts without damage and can be reinforced with metal

In other words, polymer barriers do the job — keeping workers, equipment and infrastructure safe — because they’re more forgiving than steel or concrete. And polymer is engineered to be more durable than fiberglass mesh or lower quality plastic.

How does polymer deliver value?

To be clear, most polymer barriers have a steeper initial price tag than other options on the market.

The total lifetime cost of ownership is much lower, though — polymer barriers are investments in safety that almost always pay dividends.

Many incidental collisions from forklifts or pallet jacks carry repair costs and operational downtime. With each incident, replacement of steel is more susceptible to market volatility than materials like polymer.

Dents and scratches cause corrosion that will require maintenance. However, a large impact or lack of maintenance will require full replacement for steel safety barriers.

Concrete barriers have the same issues — impacts can compromise structural integrity. Fiberglass mesh and plastic perform well for some applications, but not in environments where multiple impacts from heavy-duty equipment can occur.

All safety barrier systems come with pros and cons, depending on circumstances. No material is a one-size-fits-all solution. And each stakeholder prioritizes safety differently.

Ultimately, its long-term value typically outweighs its price up front.

Why are polymer safety barriers installed inside a facility?

There’s no single size or shape to plan for with industrial workplace protection. Still, there are general applications found across most facilities:

• Separating people and product from material handling traffic
• Protecting in instances of accidental fork truck impacts
• Helping prevent stacked or tall materials from tipping and falling, causing injury or damage
• Keeping facility infrastructure safe from material handling vehicles
• Defining and protecting work zones

Different polymer barrier configurations can address most of these challenges. Rite-Hite’s GuardRite polymer barriers are application-based combinations of varying polymer-rail sizes, post heights and or ground-level protection.

Currently, the specific products and their high-level applications are:

• LD: Separates common areas and walkways from dangerous production areas
• HD: Protects pedestrians and equipment while defining open, exposed work areas
• HD Plus: Separates and protects people, products and equipment from fork truck traffic
• HDXL: Protects product from falling off stacked pallets or racking into high-traffic areas
• HDXL Plus: Helps prevent stacked or tall materials from tipping while protecting product and people from impacts
• HDSR: Protects sensitive equipment or products and perimeter walls or racking

Managers have a lot on their plate to simply protect assets, products and people. Making it happen cost-effectively complicates decisions further.

The lifetime value of a product should always outweigh the price at checkout. Polymer’s value is in being more flexible and lower maintenance while reducing the total cost of ownership compared to most other material options.

Preventing accidents is first and foremost about preventing injury. Following that comes the cost you might incur in OSHA penalties, reputation, downtime and other expenses. The ROI of your safety barriers is highest when you stop accidents before they happen.

Want more value out of your safety barrier solution? Let a rep figure out the best safety barrier assembly for your unique facility.