When deciding which water filled barrier system is the right one for your application there is quite a lot on the market to consider. From small 1-metre barriers to larger heavy duty crash style barriers, there is usually an option somewhere which will fit your application.

Pedestrian Small Barriers

The most commonly seen water filled barriers are the Evo/Euro barriers. These barriers are usually Red or White and at the smallest are 1-metre long and largest 2-metres with a few options in between. They are most commonly used to separate pedestrians from traffic in a low-speed application.

Highwall barrier

The Highwall water filled barrier is a slightly taller and longer version of the Evo1-metre. The standard Evo barrier is not very tall so could potentially be hit much easier without being seen, whereas the Evo80 (Highwall) adds that extra bit of height for better visibility. The Highwall barrier also benefits from a higher fill level for more ballast.

Top Panels

With the smaller barriers, you may need to consider if you need a fence mesh top panel or a reflective top panel. The fence top panel is an easy way of adding extra height to your barrier system without the major expense of investing in a new system altogether. New to the 1 metre Evo barrier, the 1-peice reflective plank is now available which mounts just like the mesh panel but adds a reflective strip for extra visibility when being used for roadside applications.

Heavy Duty Barriers

For some applications like industrial sites, building or housing developments, tracks, lane delineation or distribution depots you may need a barrier which is larger and more visible which is where the heavy duty barrier systems come into play. There are a few different options available on the market and we offer a range to cover as many application as possible.

Hoarding Top Panels

Like the smaller water-filled barriers the heavy duty barriers also have the option of having fence top panels or hoarding panels. If you require a taller barrier, then a fence top will double the height from around 1000mm to 2000mm+.  If you need a more private solution,  then hoarding panels are the most suitable solution. For example, if you are working within a city centre and the footpath you are bordering is narrow then you may not want people stopping and congesting the footpath by looking through the fence.

Crash Tested Barriers

Within the heavy duty barrier range, there is also the option to have a crash tested barrier. The RB22 is a heavy duty barrier which has been crash tested and approved to BS EN1317 -N1 at 50mph. The RB22 makes an excellent alternative to concrete barriers as it is easy to install, lightweight for transport and no heavy duty tooling is needed for fix or fitting.

Track Barriers

One of the most common applications for water filled barrier systems is race tracks. Whether it be for Go Karting inside or out or driving experience days, water filled barriers can be an excellent choice for driver and vehicle protection.

Starting with the smallest barriers, the Rota series is available in either 300mm, 360mm or 500mm high versions. With different lengths available between 1350mm and 1500mm. These barriers are designed with a patented locking mechanism that allows ‘S’ bends and curves to be created.

If you require any more information or would like to purchase any Water filled barriers then you can visit our online store, or call us on 0800 978 8920.

The SuperFlex or FlexBrite Bollard is a highly flexible road marker which is capable of taking continuous impacts from cars or vans without causing any damage to the vehicle. The Bollard has 4 reflective strips visible from all angles making them clearly visible at night as well as day.

The Bollard can be used to mark off restricted areas, access points, public drop off zones, marking out lanes or marking out parking areas.

The Bollard is made from Polyurethane meaning it can withstand being  folded over completely numerous times without cracking, bending or breaking. If you are putting marker posts in and it is in area that is likely to be hit by cars than this really the best bollard for job.

The Bollard is available in 1 metre or 750mm .  It weighs 1.6kg and has an overall diameter of 81.61mm.  The base has a diameter of 97.11mm and can be fixed with 3 x M10 anchor style fixings.

If you’d like more information or a quote on this product then please contact us on [email protected] or call on 01905 794875.

 

Oxford Plastics are always looking to improve their products and have recently chosen to upgrade the plastic that they were using to make the planks which make up the Watchman barrier set. The previous planks were more likely to become brittle over time and discolour. The New HDPE planks won’t go brittle with age and are far longer lasting.  The new planks are now an attractive yellow colour distinguishing them from the older type and also increasing the visibility.

The Watchman MKII is the best solution if you need to corner off an area and the typical manhole barrier is too small to work in. The kit is available in two sizes, the 1.25m which is pictured above and a 2m kit. The only difference in the kits are the length of the reflective planks.

We recently featured the Ballast tray for the Avalon barrier on our blog which simply hooks onto the base of the barrier and then the tray can be filled with either sand or fence feet to add the ballast. This tray has now been adapted to work with the Watchman MKII system. The tray hooks onto the lower planks enabling much greater stability in higher winds.

The fence foot adds around 24kg of ballast and it is possible to add two per Ballast Tray.  The Watchman passes wind loading Class B with 1 fence foot or 12kg of spoil added to the Ballast Tray (BS 8442:2006 Road safety regulations)

There are accessories available for the Watchman MKII kit including lights and ballast trays. If you would like a quote on the MKII Watchman barrier system then please contact us here!

The latest product from Oxford Plastics is an improved version of the widely used SafeKerb. The Supagrip Safekerb has a rubberized edge – this means there is less of a bump going both up or down all whilst improving grip. This improved grip means that it does not need to be bolted down in many applications, yet offers the ability to if risk assessment deems necessary.

The new design also allows for a greater weight capacity. The standard Safekerb is suitable for use up to 250kg where as the Supagrip version will take an extra 100kgs bringing it up to 350kg.

The Supagrip Safekerb meets all the same safety requirements as the standard Safekerb and has a safe operational height of 60 -160mm.

The new design has a more rigid design then the standard version and is ideal for use with mobilty scooters, sack trucks, wheel chairs, wheelie bins and push chairs up to 350kgs.

If you are interested in more information on this product then you can contact us on 01905 794875. if you would like to see other kerb ramp options then you can visit our online store here!

The Tuff Foot from Melba Swintex is another product to help combat the problem of pedestrian barrier stabilisation. It is effectively twice the width and weight of the standard foot, bringing the weight of the foot up to 5kgs creating both a more stable and stronger structure.

The heavy duty construction makes this foot far more robust than any other type – it is almost impossible to break or crack making it particularly suitable in longer term applications.

The Tuff foot is sold separately and is compatible with all Melba Swintex pedestrian barriers. This makes it a suitable replacement foot for the Gate Barrier, Boss Barrier, Master Barrier, Olympus barrier and all other Melba Swintex branded barriers.

The JSP Triangular No Waiting Cone MK5 is the newest iteration on the traditional No Waiting Cone. A number of key improvements have been made to differentiate itself from other competing products.

This new no waiting cone is extremely well built and very robust, having a slightly heavier base than some of the other no waiting cones we have seen. This makes it even more stable in windy conditions.

The cone has a finger grab hole in the top so that it is easy to pick up as well as grab handle around the base for when you are picking them up from a stack.

The 200mm Roundel ‘No waiting’ symbol fully conforms to road regulations and has 2 year UV stabilisation, to prevent any fading or discolouration.

This no waiting cone has a 100% recycled PVC base and a blow moulded polyethylene top.

One of the handy features of this cone is the unique finger grips underneath that make it a little easier when separating them from a pile of cones or even just carrying them.

These are in stock – please call us on 01905 794 875 if you would like to order or require any more information.

Since our last blog post on Stabilising Pedestrian Barriers Oxford Plastics and Melba Swintex have both bought out new solutions to Barrier Stability. These solutions have come about because of new legislation that enforces a varying ballast being added to pedestrian barriers depending on wind speed.

Oxford plastics have modified a strong-wall base to create the brand new Avalon Ballast Base which allows the Avalon Barrier to slot into the top of the Ballast Base keeping it secure and adding 18kg of ballast.

This solution is very heavy duty and almost eliminates the possibility of the barrier tipping over or moving.

Another alternative product from Melba Swintex is an all new product called the Road Rock which uses a similar approach with a weighted block that the barrier slots into. The difference with the Melba Swintex Road Rock is that it is a multi-purpose product that can also hold any of the Melba Swintex Delineating Road bollards or hook together to create an interlocking trail.

The Road Rocks weigh in at 15kg each and 2 can be used on a single pedestrian barrier adding 30kg of ballast.

If you are working on the road it is important to meet the necessary requirements. This post is intended to be a short summary of the resources available.

• “The Red Book” – Officially ‘Safety at Street Works and Road Works – A Code of Practice‘ – Described as:“… intended to help you to safely carry out signing, lighting and guarding of street works and road works on all highways and roads, except motorways and any dual carriageways with a speed limit of 50 mph or more. This Code is directed at operatives, supervisors, managers, planners and designers who are responsible for making sure that all street and road works are safe for both operatives and the public. Road users including pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians (horse riders) should not be put at risk, and should be able to see the extent and nature of any obstruction well before they reach it.”This is a concise guide to the regulations set out in the full Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual. Read the Red Book Here.

• Traffic Signs Manual – Part 1: Design.This is the comprehensive guide for those responsible for the design of temporary traffic management arrangements to facilitate maintenance activities.At 334 pages it can be intimidating however spells out in detail the methods involved during the design stage. It is available digitally at no cost here.

• Traffic Signs Manual – Part 2: Operations.This is the comprehensive guide for those responsible for the planning, managing of, and participation in, implementing, maintaining and removing temporary traffic management arrangements.The second part of Chapter 8 is again very comprehensive at 229 pages. It is available digitally at no cost here.