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Bollards have the purpose of separating pedestrian and structural buildings from vehicles. The primary goal of a safety bollard is to prevent unwarranted accidents and vehicle crashes.
Ensuring that traffic flows accordingly in parking lots, roadsides, and other areas has been the optimal goal of safety bollard installation. But, safety bollards also require maintenance and upkeep. Otherwise, they won’t function optimally, and safety may be compromised.
What Are Bollards?
Bollards play a vital role in a security system. Most types of these vertical posts protect people, buildings, and other areas from vehicle access.
Plastic bollards, on the other hand, help direct traffic to where they should go and give caution to drivers about restricted areas. There are also decorative bollards that serve more aesthetic functions in front of businesses and homes rather than providing the highest protection.
Causes of Safety Bollard Damage
Regardless of the type of bollard, these posts are subjected to different weather conditions and harmful elements that lead to damage.
Environmental Conditions
Ever-changing environmental conditions can damage bollards. Snow, rain, wind, sun, and extreme temperatures over the years cause deterioration, especially on non-sturdy bollards such as wood. Even accumulated dust over the years can cause a decline in the bollard’s strength.
Similarly, bollards in coastal environments such as harbors and wharves have to deal with saltwater. They can corrode over time under these salty conditions when not maintained properly.
Human Damage
Instances of accidents and vandalism can also damage a safety bollard. Since these safety barriers are often found in work areas, parking lots, along pathways, and on roadsides, they are susceptible to vehicles crashing into them.
Though they act as visual markers and protective barriers, bollard posts can be rammed into at any time of the day. This damages the bollards, causing dents and scratches.
Vandalism is also pretty common. Fixed bollards that stay in place can easily turn into targets prone to intentional damage. They can be vandalized in a number of ways, like graffiti or when people stick up posters and flyers.
Important Safety Bollard Maintenance Tips to Remember
All safety bollards should be properly maintained regardless of where they are located. Medium-duty and heavy-duty area security bollards should be given more attention, considering the amount of traffic they cater to every day.
Conduct an Inspection
Inspection of a bollard post should be done as often as possible. This is to check for possible issues that may cause it to deteriorate. Also, being aware of any problems early on means you can get the bollards fixed fast, preventing bigger damage from occurring.
When doing an inspection, check for the following things:
- Dirt buildup
- Rust
- Dents
- Breaks and cracks
- Loose or missed parts
- Vandalism
- Signs of vehicular impacts
- Salt or atmospheric residue
- Decreased performance
- Other signs of wear and tear
Inspections can be done once a month. However, bollards in harsher environments or those in heavily trafficked or polluted areas can benefit from a weekly inspection.
Maintain Properly According to Its Material
Bollard posts provide different levels of protection and function. And, they are also made of different materials too. Good upkeep of these safety posts should be consistent and done according to their specific materials:
Metal or Stainless Steel Bollards
A steel pipe safety bollard is one of the most durable, given that it is made of metal. But since metal also corrodes, this material requires extra care to keep its structural integrity. Metal bollards should be cleaned often to prevent dirt and debris from accumulating.
Solvent cleaners and other abrasive chemicals should not be used since they can damage the paint of a steel pipe bollard or any other metal bollard. Abrasive cleaning products can further hasten rust development as well.
Significant scratches and dents can be repaired with a repair paint that usually comes in spray or paste forms.
Wooden Bollards
Wooden bollards come in either hardwood or softwood varieties. Wood isn’t as popular today for bollards as it was before, but it is still used in some places.
Since wood can splinter, move and split, it should be repaired with some light sanding to achieve a smoother surface. Major damage, however, may be harder to repair. In this case, replacing the bollard is the only solution.
Bollard treatments should be done every six months to help them sustain environmental conditions. Wood treatments also protect them so that they won’t easily splinter and split.
Using a bollard cover for a wood bollard post can also further protect it from wear and tear.
Concrete Bollards
With its sturdy exterior, concrete bollards require little maintenance. To clean concrete bollards, simply hose them down or wash them using a mild soap and some water.
When damaged, these bollards need to be repaired immediately. If not, the concrete can develop larger cracks over time.
Add Protective Sleeves
Bollard covers are not only meant for wood bollards, but for all types of bollards. Whether you have fixed or removable bollards, these protective sleeves add extra protection from wear and tear.
It also saves you the cost of re-painting them whenever there are scratches. Bollard covers come in different styles, colors, and designs. Some have reflective strips on them, while others can be customized.
Lubricate Automatic Bollards
For automatic bollards to function properly, they require regular lubrication. Make sure that all moving parts, like hinges and pivots, have been lubricated properly.
Avoid using too much lubricant. Oversupply of lubricant only results in the buildup and the quick accumulation of dirt and debris.
Why Is It Important to Maintain Bollards?
Bollards provide long-lasting protection and are specially designed safety products that can protect people, vehicles, and other assets. Their structural integrity should not be compromised, or they may fail to provide the utmost protection.
Regular maintenance keeps bollards in good shape and prevents major problems from developing. It’s better to keep them well-maintained than to have them damaged from something that could have been prevented.
Where to Get Safety Bollards
Are you in need of safety bollards? Installing one requires you to have proper knowledge of what they are and which ones are best suited to your needs.
At All Security Equipment, we have a wide product catalog of safety bollards and other items you need to fulfill all your security needs. Our stock is regularly updated with new products that guarantee safety, reliability, and authenticity.
Check our wide inventory now or contact us for further inquiries.
