Estimated read time: 8.5 minutes
Contributor: Gary Whiteman – Construction Sector Lead
Thinking you may need a form of protection on your site or traffic area and wondering if a handrail or barrier could fit the bill?
At first glance they seem pretty similar, but in reality, they’re both suited for different environments and offer different types of protection. Here at Vanguard Group, questions around the differences between handrails – from cost, installation and more – are some of the many queries we receive!
By the time you reach the end of this article, you should have a clear understanding of the key differences between handrails and barriers, cost differences, key considerations as you weigh up both options, and more.
What is a handrail?
The simplest way to define a handrail is a vertical yellow line that’s designed to guide people along a lane or walkway on the ground. Handrails are not designed as protection from heavy vehicles, or for height safety.
Handrails can be made from a variety of materials including steel, aluminium and flexible i.e plastic. They’re often sold on the market as modular pieces that can be joined together so they can meet the needs of specific site requirements.
Handrails offered by Vanguard are made of either steel and aluminium, or polymer. For durability and rust protection purposes, they have a powder coating and are galvanised, depending on whether the handrail is used internally or externally.
In this article we will focus on handrails made of steel and aluminium.
“At Vanguard we often install handrails up to 100 metres in length, which can also be installed so they continue around bends and corners, as well as gate systems that attach to the handrail ends” – Gary Whiteman.
Handrail Pros
- Cost – An affordable product option if purpose is to direct people to an area along a path or walkway.
- Galvanised handrails – Aluminium handrails don’t rust – Great if you are planning to place handrails in a salt spray zone. Galvanised steel posts also offer great durability.
- Easier to customise when installing – Handrails with aluminium rails are easier to install to specific site requirements as the aluminium can easily be cut to size.
- High visibility – All coatings on top of the steel or aluminium are ‘Safety yellow’, making the handrails easy for pedestrians and vehicles to see.
- Ergonomic hand moulded railing – Some handrails feature moulded grooves in the aluminium, making the holding of the handrail a more pleasant experience.
- Can be used with a gate system – A gate can be mounted to the post for safe entrance and exit points
Handrail Cons
- Limited protection – A handrail doesn’t provide the same level of protection as a barrier
- Not certified – Does not have the same certification requirements in comparison to barrier options on the market as it is not designed to provide the same level of protection
- Installed on concrete – Handrails need to be installed on concrete rather than just asphalt. This requirement may increase installation costs.
How much do modular handrails cost?
The cost of Tru-Gard handrails are priced at approximately $200 to $250 per linear metre.
For someone requiring 50 metres of handrail, they could be looking at spending approximately $10,000.
Other cost factors we encourage you to keep in mind include installation costs, site visits and the need to install plugs of concrete every 2.2 metres, if the ground surface is asphalt.
Where do Vanguard’s handrail costs fit in the industry?
The cost of Vanguard’s aluminium and steel handrails do sit slightly higher than similar handrail products offered in New Zealand.
Metal handrails offered by us could be approximately between 5-10% more expensive than others you may find on the market.
There are a few reasons for this:
- Quality of materials – The powder coated aluminium handrails offer superior protection against marine environments and stronger weather conditions
- Modular – For ease of installation and customisation, this patented system ensures handrails can be fitted to different locations and environments, small and large.
Handrail Considerations
If the Tru-Gard handrail ticks the boxes for your site needs, you can opt for a member of our team at Vanguard to install the handrails for you. Alternatively, you can roll up your sleeves and do yourself.
“Here at Vanguard, we offer an installation service for the Tru-Gard handrail. However, if you have a do-it-yourself attitude or have a building background, a cost saving benefit of this product is that you can install the rails yourself if you have the equipment and secure the posts on concrete” – Gary Whiteman.
What is the warranty for Tru-Gard handrails?
The Tru-Gard Pedestrian Rail comes with a 10-year warranty. It is also made in New Zealand.
“A handrail is a cost-effective way to keep people on a path. It is common for people to create a painted path or place tape down, and many people wander away from the path, increasing the risk of walking into a hazardous situation.
“The cheapest, most effective way to prevent this type of hazard is to invest in a modular handrail. It keeps people on the path” – Gary Whiteman.
Browse Tru-Gard Pedestrian Handrail
What is a barrier?
In general, a barrier is designed to prevent a collision between two objects and is commonly used for safety measures.
There are many types of barriers on the market, ranging from temporary barriers to permanent barriers made from components including solid materials such as steel and flexible options made from polymer – a form of plastic.
We find customers typically purchase barriers for one of three reasons
- 1 – Increasing overall health and safety on a site, separating people from heavy vehicles such as forklifts, cars, trucks, as well as cattle.
- 2 – As a vehicle pedestrian barrier – Protecting walking pedestrians from being injured or killed
- 3 – To stop vehicles from hitting machinery and plant, cool stores, expensive walls and equipment – Which could cause a plant to temporarily shut down
In this article, we will refer to modular barriers by Tru-Gard made from coated steel and fixed to the ground. We also offer the flexible d-Flexx barriers. In this article we will refer to the Tru-Gard range.
Watch the video below to learn about the features and benefits of the Tru-Gard
Watch – Features, benefits and differences of Tru-Gard barriers
Barrier Pros
- Certified crash rated barrier – Independently assessed by engineers and certified to an engineering code – Compliant with AS/NZS 1170.1 Section 3.8. This can be of great assurance if you are seeking, for example, Osh certification.
- Strong and durable – Each post has a 1.1 metre centre to provide extra strength in the event of a collision. This compares to other barriers on the market which you may find have post centres of 2 metres or more.
- Prevents forklift pallets sliding under barrier – A major potential hazard is avoided due to Tru-Gard barriers being structured so the width of pallet cannot fit through a gap and cause injury if a pedestrian is behind the barrier during a forklift collision.
- Optional cage barrier – A heavy duty mesh can be placed on top of parallel barriers to provide extra safety protection if a barrier is placed near high stacks of pallets or stock
- Optional handrail – Ergonomic designed handrails can be fitted as an optional feature to the top of the barrier
- Made in New Zealand – From design to the powder coating, you are supporting locally made
Barrier Cons
- Installed by professionals – We recommend the Tru-Gard barriers are installed by a member of the Vanguard team to help achieve the certification.
- Wear and tear visibility – Similar to the panels of a car post-collision, steel barriers may not look as aesthetically pleasing as the metal doesn’t bounce back into shape. If the modular sections aren’t replaced, they can deform, fall and rust. Fortunately, Tru-Gard modular sections can be replaced.
- Maintenance costs – A significant collision with a barrier can cause the bolts to be wrenched from the ground which can damage the concrete and require the post installation area to be re-concreted
“We have the certification to prove that Tru-Gard barriers are rated. We can show a table with the ratings on, every configuration and the kilometers per hour that the forklift can hit at, and the tonnage of that vehicle model will stop at different angles.” – Gary Whiteman.
Barrier Rating Table for Tru-Gard Barrier – 910 Triple
How much do steel barriers cost?
The cost of barriers offered by Vanguard varies between both solid Tru-Gard models and d-Flexx options.
Tru-Gard barriers are priced according to one of three barrier heights available, the number of safety barriers fitted to them, (single, double, triple) the length and amount of runs and corners, and also what finish it has.
Please note that the following are indicative rates only, and at the time of writing July 9, 2024.
- Tru-Gard Barrier 910 single – $370 – $450
- Tru-Gard Barrier 910 double – $490 – $630
- Tru-Gard Barrier 910 triple – $620 – $810
- Tru-Gard Barrier 610 single – $270 – $340
- Tru-Gard Barrier 610 double – $400 – $520
- Tru-Gard Barrier 310 single – $240 – $300
We encourage that the installation of Tru-Gard barriers are carried out by a member of the Vanguard installation team. This is because they are a certified crash rated barrier which have been tested and exceed compliance with AS/NZS 1170.1 Section 3.8.
Where do Vanguard’s steel barriers costs fit in the industry?
The cost of Tru-Gard barriers per metre generally sits around 10-12% higher than other steel barrier models you may find in the New Zealand market. The price increase is due to quality NZ manufacturing, features and modular design.
Barrier Considerations
If space is a premium on your site, you may like to consider the return on investment benefit that can come with investing in barriers with a cage barrier placed above.
What does this mean? With protection from the sides and above, you have the ability to stack stock, to a certain extent, fairly close to the barrier, maximising floor space you would otherwise need to keep free for safety, or extend to cater for your stock.
What is the warranty for Tru-Gard barriers?
The Tru-Gard barriers offered by Vanguard come with a 10 year warranty. They are also designed and made in New Zealand.
Browse Tru-Gard Barriers
Handrail vs Barrier – What option is best for me?
Now you have an overview of what both a solid handrail and barrier is, along with pricing estimates, pros, cons and key considerations, deciding which option you should take between a handrail or barrier is quite simple.
The key question to ask yourself is “what am I trying to protect?”
If you are trying to protect people and there are no vehicles in the area, a handrail will be the most ideal and cost-effective option for you.
On the other hand, if you are trying to protect people from forklifts, vehicles or from anything that could fall from above, we recommend you consider a barrier.
Still have some questions or would like to get in touch? Making contact with us is simple! Click the link below to book an appointment with a member of our team.
You can also click here to browse our range of Tru-Gard handrails and Tru-Gard barriers.
