Barriers and Bollards

Winter weather woes!

So it seems that a 'proper' Winter is now upon us. The North of the UK has of course already had more serious weather conditions, but now it's spreading across the UK and temperatures are set to plummet. With forecasts of snow across the South this weekend, everyone's getting prepared with extra shopping and snow and ice preparations!

We often hear about driving tips for bad weather - drive slowly, keep your gears as high as possible, and make sure you carry a blanket, shovel, de-icer and a drink / snack. And on foot, wrap up warm and wear sensible shoes! But there's plenty of other practical methods that you could be preparing to implement.

Here at Barriers Direct we've a great range of products to help with Winter Health and Safety issues, at work, home or school:

Grit bins - sounds obvious but it's surprising how useful these can be, especially in rural areas and large car parks or commercial areas.

Ladders - perilous in icy conditions, use these sentries to prevent access.

Spot your cycle stand even in the snow with these high visibility options

Put out these warning signs for those slippery situations

Shelter bikes from the snow and rain

To order any of these products visit our Trade Store for discounts of up to 30%.

Keep in touch! Let us know your weather woes, product enquiries or suggestions at support@adminbarriersdirect.co.uk

It's all about the Bollards...

Security is a constant worry for shop owners, and putting the right measures in place to prevent potential robbers gaining entry, or at the very least slow them down, is vital. Shutters and gates are common, but so are bollards, helping to deter and protect against ram raids and forced entry.

To this end, Professional Jeweller have cited concrete security bollards as their preferred method of preventing shops from being ram-raided.

Other methods considered included reinforced glass, CCTV cameras and elaborate fog systems; but it was the modest bollard that beat off the competition! Professional Jeweller said they were a pro-active and secure way to "protect the store against would-be robbers".

Here at Barriers Direct, we love our bollards, and we're so pleased to see them getting the appreciation they deserve! We've got all sorts, shapes and sizes; concrete, telescopic, security and steel, even unusual character formats!  Steel reinforced concrete bollards (pictured) seem to be THE choice in terms of shop security, and we're sure more and more stores will look into this as a tried and tested security measure.

With such a huge range, you're bound to find just what you need to help protect YOUR store against crime.

If you have any questions about bollards, give us a call on 0800 028 8010.

Bicycle safety and cycling advice - everyone's talking about it!

Further to our recent blog about enthusiasm for cycling - whether it's a new bike for Christmas, New Year's resolution to cycle more and get fit, or doing your bit for the environment and leaving the car at home - we've seen lots of articles on cycling and bicycles. Clearly a hot topic.

This week we received information from Transport for London about cycle safety and it inspired us to write about it. Safety is a key factor and this article from TFL mentions how cyclists have increased by 150% since 2000, and that riders need to see and be seen; this is the responsibility of drivers as well as cyclists themselves.

Wearing bright clothing, keeping your bicycle in top condition and riding sensibly are a few obvious starting point for cyclists, but drivers also need to be aware, giving riders plenty of room when overtaking, double checking at junctions and respecting cycle lanes and paths.

This TFL article for cyclists themselves has many tips and great ideas, including information on free cycle training and information about shared bicycle schemes.

It's everyone's responsibility to be safe on the roads, whether riding your bike or driving your car. But responsibility doesn't stop there, once you arrive at work or school make sure your cars are parked responsibly, and also that your bikes are locked up safely and securely. Read our previous blog for more on bike stands, cycle stands and bicycle shelters, along with bike security. It also mentions funding for schools, which we know is enormously helpful to secure budget for bike shelters or cycle stands.

If you have any questions about bike security, or suggestions for products we could stock for cyclists, please contact us here or call us on 0800 0288010.