Whether it’s a forklift driver misjudging their distance, a new employee unfamiliar with a hazard zone, or unstable stock falling off racking, situations like these can be disastrous when physical barriers aren’t in place.
Many workplaces we consult recognise that they need a barrier, either because they’ve experienced an accident and dealt with the serious consequences, or they are safety-proofing a new facility.
What they often have questions about is the difference between steel and flexible barriers, and which works best where.
While one may be the best way to prevent harm in one situation, it doesn’t mean it will be effective in another.
So how do you know which barrier will provide you with the protection you require in your workplace? Is it a steel barrier or a flexible barrier? Maybe it’s a combination of both.
In this article, we cover:
- How Do Barriers Improve Site Safety?
- Steel vs Flexible Barriers: Key Considerations
- What’s the Difference Between Steel and Flexible Barrier Performance?
- Steel Barrier Cost Compared to Flexible Barrier Cost
With a thorough understanding of each barrier’s role, where it works best, and its cost-effectiveness, you’ll have everything you need to make the right decision—for the safety of your people and assets on site, overall operational efficiency, and your budget.
How Do Barriers Improve Site Safety?
Safety barriers improve site safety by providing physical separation that protects people and assets from vehicles, objects, forklifts, and other material-handling equipment (MHE).
In busy workplaces, such as warehouses and logistics centres, manufacturing sites, or food and beverage facilities, the risk of injury or damage when two or more of the above collide can be high.
Safety barriers serve two purposes: to prevent pedestrians from leaving the boundaries they set, or to prevent vehicles, forklifts, and other MHE from entering high-risk areas and colliding with people or assets.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when deciding which barrier to install on your site is that not every barrier will achieve the same goal.
Safety barriers can be used to:
- Create a clearly demarcated pedestrian walkway
- Protect expensive machinery or equipment from impact
- Keep pedestrians out of hazardous zones
- Separate pedestrians from forklifts in high-traffic areas
- Provide overhead protection from falling objects
As mentioned previously, the two most common industrial barriers are steel and flexible barriers. Each barrier addresses different site safety needs and must match the appropriate on-site risk.
At Vanguard, we supply both options—let’s take a look at the key differences and features of each.
Related Content: “Safety and Efficiency: How Barriers Improve Your Warehouse Operations.”
Steel vs Flexible Barriers: Key Considerations
When contemplating whether to install a steel or a flexible safety barrier on your site, there are some fundamental factors you should always consider before rushing into a decision.
These include:
- Risk level: What are you protecting? People, assets, traffic flow?
- Environment: Indoors vs outdoors, weather, corrosion.
- Traffic types and speeds: Pedestrian zones, forklifts, or heavy trucks.
- Impact testing: What is the likelihood of impact? Do you need a barrier to withstand regular impacts, or is it just for lane delineation?
- Maintenance and lifespan: Whole-of-life cost—upfront cost vs maintenance/ongoing costs and operational downtime.
Let’s start with a high-level overview of the differences between steel and flexible barriers.
What’s the Difference Between Steel and Flexible Barrier Performance?
The difference between steel and flexible barriers is minimal in what they achieve: they either create a walkway or block access to an area, or provide impact protection from vehicles, forklifts, and other MHE in busy workplace environments. However, where they do differ is in their impact ratings and their upfront cost.
Where Is a Steel Barrier a Better Choice?
A steel barrier is a suitable choice for areas with light to medium traffic flow.
It is a cost-effective option that provides adequate impact protection for people and assets from vehicles, forklifts, and other MHE.
Where Is a Flexible Barrier a Better Choice?
Flexible barriers are best suited to tight environments with heavy traffic, where the likelihood of frequent impacts is high.
They are also better for food-safe and food-grade areas because they are much easier to clean and won’t rust.
While they cost more upfront, you will save money in the long term because they have a higher impact rating than steel barriers.
Their polymer, energy-absorbing makeup means they are less likely to chip, dent, or come out of the concrete surface, saving you money on maintenance costs and operational downtime.
Now we dig a little deeper by breaking down the key features of steel and flexible barriers individually, and then comparing them to help you in your decision-making process.
Steel Barriers: A Rigid, Cost-Effective Safety Control
Industrial steel barriers generally serve two purposes: either to create a demarcated walkway for pedestrians or to protect people or assets from forklifts and other MHE impact.
In the first instance, a steel handrail barrier would do the job, while the latter would require a more heavy-duty solution, such as an impact-rated barrier.
At Vanguard, our steel barrier solutions are known as PedSafe and ForkSafe.
Steel Pedestrian Barriers: PedSafe
PedSafe barriers are a steel and aluminium handrail system that can be used to delineate a walkway, preventing pedestrians from wandering across a site, potentially into the path of a vehicle or forklift. It can also be used to section off an area away from forklift and other MHE activity, where heavy impact protection isn’t required.
PedSafe barriers can be paired with PedSafe Pause Gates, which encourage pedestrians to stop and be aware of their surroundings before exiting the barrier boundary.
Steel Impact-Rated Barriers: ForkSafe
Then we have our ForkSafe steel barrier range, a fully modular, impact-rated system designed to protect buildings, assets, and people from damage or injury caused by forklifts and other MHE.
What Configurations Are Available?
The fully modular range includes three main impact-rated configurations: the 400, 600, and 950 series. These numbers refer to the system’s height, and each type is designed for a different use.
Whether you need a pedestrian walkway, protection from falling pallets, or to prevent a forklift from hitting a conveyor belt, there’s a solution for every situation.
Take a look at the table below to understand where each configuration is typically used and what it is best suited for in various applications.
Are ForkSafe Barriers Customisable?
ForkSafe’s fully modular design makes it easy to customise your configuration to suit your site’s safety requirements. Customisation can also be done on-site with a simple cut-and-drill process. Additionally, if damage should occur to your barrier system, all rails and posts are fully replaceable.
PAS 13: ForkSafe’s Impact Testing Method
The ForkSafe barrier system is impact-tested in accordance with PAS 13. Unlike other standard testing standards (such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or AS/NZ 1170), PAS 13 is specifically designed to measure barrier strength and durability against forklift and other MHE impact in industrial environments—not just vehicles.
These barriers are also equipped with a unique Crumple Zone Technology (CZT), designed to absorb impact and further reduce the risk of shock to the forklift, while protecting your concrete floor from blowing out.
For the impact rating to be valid, the barriers must be installed in concrete and not in asphalt.
How Much Do Steel Barriers Cost?
Flexible barriers range in price based on configuration and the level of impact protection they provide.
ForkSafe Barriers range in price from:
- Walkway and asset protection steel barriers can range from $150/m to $600/m.
- Higher steel barriers, such as cages, tunnels, and topple barriers, can range from $800/m to $1050/m.
Additional expenses to consider include installation and maintenance costs.
Related Content: “How Much Do Steel Barriers Cost and Why Should I Invest?”
Flexible Barriers: A High-Impact, Energy-Absorbing Solution
Flexible barriers are designed to create demarcated walkways for pedestrians and protect people or assets from forklift and other MHE impact—much the same as steel barriers.
The “flexible” title is certainly self-explanatory; they are made from a flexible polymer rather than solid steel, and are designed to absorb energy on impact and return to their original shape.
One of the main advantages of flexible barriers is that they can be used in tight, busy areas with heavy pedestrian and MHE traffic.
In these environments, a flexible barrier offers unique protection: the polymer absorbs the impact of the hit and returns to its original shape.
By absorbing that impact, there is less pressure on the bolts and a lower risk of them ripping out of the concrete surface. As a result, you save on maintenance costs, labour, and operational downtime.
Boplan Flexible Polymer: Extrilene®
Extrilene offers outstanding impact resistance, absorbing heavy collisions without cracking. Its single-layer polymer construction prevents delamination — unlike multi-layered systems — ensuring consistent structural integrity and higher resistance to fading in demanding environments.
The Ice Flex® for Sub-Zero Safety range, which covers multiple barriers, is engineered for sub-zero environments and performs reliably down to –30 °C. Made from a modified Extrilene formulation, it ensures consistent impact resistance and structural integrity in cold storage and freezer applications.
What Configurations Are Available?
The fully modular range includes two main configurations: the 260 and 400 series. These numbers refer to the system’s height, and each type is designed for a different use.
Take a look at the table below to understand where each configuration is typically used and what it is best suited for in various applications.
Are Boplan Barriers Customisable?
Boplan’s fully modular design makes it easy to customise your configuration to suit your site’s safety requirements. Customisation can also be done on-site with a simple cut-and-drill process. Additionally, if damage should occur to your barrier system, all rails and posts are fully replaceable.
UNI 11886: Boplan’s Impact Testing Method
Boplan uses the UNI 11886 impact testing standard specifically designed to measure barrier strength and durability against forklift and other MHE impact in industrial environments—not just vehicles.
The test is performed on the posts and rails and measures the deflection of the flexible barrier upon impact.
The impact rating is calculated based on speed, weight, impact angle, and the pull force on the anchors. Each Boplan barrier has a unique impact rating to match the level of risk on your site.
If a barrier is UNI tested, it is also PAS 13 compliant.
How Much Do Flexible Barriers Cost?
Flexible barriers range in price based on configuration and the level of impact protection they provide.
Boplan Barriers range in price from:
- Walkway and asset protection flexible barriers can range from $360/m to $1000/m.
- Higher steel barriers, such as cages, tunnels, and topple barriers, can range from $1100/m to $2000/m.
Additional expenses to consider include installation and maintenance costs.
Steel and Flexible Barrier Installation and Maintenance
Both of our ForkSafe steel and Boplan flexible barriers are easy to install on-site and have fewer components than alternative barrier solutions. They don’t need to be pre-cut or require special tools to install or modify; it’s as simple as cutting the barrier to resize it.
Because the rails are light, it only takes one person to do the installation. Plus, if your layout or operational requirements change, then the systems can be easily cut down, pulled apart and relocated.
Your on-site engineers can install the barriers themselves using our ForkSafe Installation Guide or by following these step-by-step Boplan Installation Videos. However, we are here to help with installation should you need it.
As for maintenance, both steel and flexible barriers should be regularly cleaned and inspected for any damage. If your steel barrier is dented or chipped, or your flexible barrier is showing white shadowing, the impact rating will no longer be valid. In this case, they will need to be repaired or replaced as soon as possible to ensure their effectiveness in protecting your people and assets.
At Vanguard, we offer a 10-year guarantee on our ForkSafe barrier range and a 2-year guarantee on our Boplan barrier range.
Related Content:
- “Ready to Install Safety Barriers & Bollards? Prep Your Site in 10 Steps.”
- “Are You Installing Your Protective Barriers Wrong? 4 Things to Avoid.”
Why Does Impact Rating Matter?
When a barrier has a lower impact rating than the force that hits it, the barrier is likely to be left damaged, and the bolts holding the posts into the ground can be ripped out entirely.
Not only will you have to repair the barrier, but the concrete surface can lead to significant maintenance costs and operational downtime.
We built our own pendulum-style testing rig to calculate the impact rating (kJ) of our steel and flexible barriers. We do so by combining speed, weight, impact angle, and the pull force on the anchors to determine the barrier’s impact resistance. Each barrier has a unique impact rating to match the level of risk on your site.
Steel, Flexible or Hybrid: How to Decide What’s Right for Your Site
When deciding between a steel and a flexible barrier, the question you should always ask yourself first is: What purpose is this barrier serving?
The ultimate goal of installing barrier systems is to enhance the safety of your people and assets while causing the least disruption to your operational flows.
If you know you’re needing protection in an area where there is heavy traffic and the likelihood of impact is high, flexible barriers are going to offer you more impact protection than steel.
While they come with a higher upfront cost, the investment pays for itself in the long term by reducing maintenance costs and operational downtime.
If you need impact protection but there is less traffic in that area, or you’re on a tight budget, a steel barrier is still a good option and is always better than no physical barrier protection.
While steel costs less, you will likely spend more on maintenance and operational downtime over time.
Many sites use a mix of both steel and flexible. Ultimately, making the right decision about barriers for your site involves considering the environment you need to protect, the level of risk, and how willing you are to do the right thing for your workplace’s safety.
Related Content: “Barrier System Overhaul Boosts Safety at Stanley Black & Decker.”
You Simply Can’t Put a Price on Safety.
If you’re still unsure which type of barrier you need, have questions, or would like us to come to your site to discuss your options—we’re here to help.
By contacting our team, we can gain a better understanding of your situation and recommend the best barrier solutions for your site.
