Car Park Safety Equipment

This article identifies the common car park hazards. It also provides you with the car park safety equipment you require to use in your car park to maintain a safe and secure environment.

Identify Car Park Hazards

Common car park hazards are:

• Unregulated parking.
• Poor traffic flows.
• People and cars sharing the same routes.
• Poor marking and signs.
• Bad lines of sight for drivers and people.
• Uneven surfaces.
• Lack of security.
• Weak Fire assessments.
• Flawed Health and Safety risk assessments.

A good car park has:

• Managed entry and exit.
• Easy to read signs and road markings.
• Well lit areas.
• Clear lines of sight for all users.
• Slip free, solid and level surfaces.
• Safe walking areas.
• Suitability for the type of vehicles parked.
• A maintenance plan.
• Full risk assessments of Fire, Health and Safety.

Control Access

The following car park safety equipment is required to control access to your car park.

Entrance and Exit Barriers

Barriers are used to manage the entry and exit of the car park. At the entrance they are used to manage the vehicle flow. On exit they ensure that you get paid.

Manual barriers give users the assurance of security. Where cost is a concern, automatic barriers give better cost of ownership.

Height Restriction Barriers

Height restriction barriers are used to control who has access to a car park. It prevents a vehicle from entering a restricted area when they are above a certain height. This height must be well signposted.

Barrier Hoops

Barrier hoops are permanent metal structures that are used to stop access. These ensure that vehicles do not cross into areas that are restricted. This is an ideal way to make routes for people safe.

These are also used to limit vehicle access points. This adds to the security of the car park by limiting the chance of drive off theft.

Control Traffic Flow

The following car park safety equipment is required to control traffic flow in your car park.

Clear Signs

You must provide clear signs in car parks for drivers and pedestrians. These signs are used to:

• Display speed limits.
• Direct traffic flow.
• Show entrances and exits.
• Manage people.

All sign posts require to be produced to the Highway Code standards.

One-Way System

A one-way system provides your car park user with an easy to follow system. This stops users from performing dangerous manoeuvres.

The most direct system to use is arrows pointing the traffic in the correct direction. This can be by painted markings or by signs.

Flow Plates

Flow plates are barriers that collapse when traffic moves over them in the correct direction. They stop smaller vehicles from crossing the plates in the wrong direction. They are not suitable in areas with heavy vehicles. HGVs with their larger wheel size can cross them the wrong way and can damage them in the process.

Flow plates must be placed in straight sections of the car park. They need clear warning signs, and other speed reducing measures are required to be applied. If not vehicles may be damaged, and drivers may panic thinking that they are a hazard.

Speed Bumps

Speed bumps are used to slow the flow of vehicles. They must be placed in straight sections of the car park. It is best practice that they are made visible or clearly signed.

Control Pedestrian Safety

The following car park safety equipment is required to control the safety of pedestrians in your car park. You are required by law to ensure their safety.

Pedestrian Guardrails

Pedestrian guardrails are strong railings made from sections of steel tubing. This gives a good line of sight to all users and provides a safe environment.  They are also the best way to create routes that you want users to take. See our Pedestrian Guardrails article for further details.

Bollards

Temporary or permanent bollards are used to warn users of a hazard. They are used to reduce the risk of accidents.

Permanent bollards can be also used to prevent high force impacts.

Where a route has to be changed, temporary bollards can be easily deployed and removed when no longer required.

Bollards are made from:

• Concrete.
• Iron or Steel.

Barrier Chains

Barrier chains are used as a fence that can easily be changed. This can be used for pedestrian control and safety.

They are made from UV-resistant plastic chains that are hung from permanent or temporary posts.

Temporary Works Protection

When maintenance or construction work is being carried out in your car park you will need to exclude the public from the area. An ideal system to use is water filled barriers.

They can be transported and deployed easily. They are very visible and are extremely crash resistant.

As an alternative to water, sand can be used as a ballast.

Monitor

The safety measures that you have put in place need to be monitored. This means checking that they still function as well as when they were new.

You will also need to maintain an accident log. If an accident occurs, it is investigated and any corrective measures are done.

If there are any changes to the flows of pedestrians or traffic, then this change is assessed and any corrective actions are implemented.

Maintenance

It is essential that you have a good maintenance plan for your car park. Elements to include are:

• Car park safety equipment – A maintenance plan is required. This will look at the installed equipment. Ideally this will be based on the expected lifespan of the item.
• Resurfacing – This needs to be carried out regularly. Special attention needs to be given to pothole repairs. This is not just a safety issue, it is to avoid claims for damage to vehicles.
• White and yellow lining – This needs regular inspection. Repairs need to be done to ensure visibility of:
  • Traffic flows.
  • Parking bays.
  • Privileged areas.

And finally

Car park safety equipment is essential for a successful car park. It means that you meet your legal requirements. This gives your customers confidence that you are a good service provider which encourages repeat business in a competitive environment.