If you’re a car park manager or considering building a car park for your businesses in Australia, there are strict laws governing the use of safety guard rails in these areas. These safety rails are often in the form of steel guard rails, and they are a common choice all over the country, to help keep drivers and pedestrians safe.
Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about why guardrail systems are a necessity in Australia, both by law and for general workplace safety. If you’re interested in great safety products, Guardrail Direct is the premier Australian choice for safety guardrails.
Why Use Car Park Railing?
The most common reasons guard rails are installed in car parks are as follows:
· To prevent cars from going over edges in upper-level parking spaces.
· Control the speed of vehicles inside closed car park buildings.
· Keep pedestrians away from vehicles in dense spaces.
· Prevent unauthorised access to private car parks.
· Eliminate behaviour such as climbing walls or fences.
· Protect the local trees.
· Protect vulnerable areas such as lighting and cooling systems.
· Be in line with Australian law.
What Does the Australian Law Say?
If your car park area does not adhere to Australian law (Australian Standards), it can lead to high fines, ruined reputations and litigation in the event of serious injuries.
These rules state that car park guardrails are required to be placed in the following areas:
· Drops of 600mm or higher that are near moving or stationary cars.
· Heights of one or more metres off the ground, where pedestrians are exposed (near walkways, etc.).
· Any heights of four metres or more must have anti-climb barriers installed.
What Type of Safety Guardrails Are There?
There are a few different types of safety guardrails used commonly in Australia.
Crash Rails & Anti Climb Mesh
These crash rails are designed for ramps, perimeters and open areas. They are shock absorbing, scratch proof, UV stabilised and water resistant while also being hard to climb. They are also extremely hard to cut with conventional tools.
Steel Crash Barriers
Often known as guard rail systems. These are constructed from galvanised steel and use bolts to hold into the floor concrete. These guard rails are great for preventing cars from knocking into pedestrians or other cars if there is an accident, as well as preventing structural damage to the building.
Boom Barriers
To limit the number of cars coming into the carpark, or to stop unauthorised vehicles from using the space, boom barriers are an automatic way to collect fares and stop cars for screening. These are also useful if a car park has exceeded its limits in terms of volume.
Speed Humps
Speed humps force cars to slow down to a safe speed, allowing these cars to stop faster and protects pedestrians from possible incidents. Speed humps are durable and are used extensively within Australia.
These are only some of the safety options for car parks within Australia, beyond this, there are specific options such as wheel spikes, bollards and corner guards to name a few. When choosing what you need, remember to audit your space and stick to the requirements as outlined by the law.
