6 Ways to Use Barriers Effectively

The strategic use of barriers in flattening the COVID-19 curve has been a stellar example of how they can be used effectively. However, the keyword here is “strategic.” In an attempt to create a healthy separation, you must actively think about how implementing physical barriers can help keep your business safe for those coming in.

Using this guide, get ideas on how barriers maintain safety for your customers all while keeping your store streamlined and well structured. 

Maintaining Safety

As we step into yet another year affected by the pandemic, one of the common uses of barriers that we have seen consistently has been in the form of partitions and sneeze guards. We have seen plexiglass barriers and hand sanitizer floor stands in all spheres of life. They offer minimal disruption to work and business practices.

Even though they are not a replacement for face masks, they are doing their part to stop transmission by creating physical separation. Businesses that have invested in such barriers may continue to keep them in place even in the many years to come. They will protect customers and employees from other respiratory ailments other than COVID-19, such as the flu.

Crowd Control

Even in the pre-pandemic era, barriers have been the go-to implement for handling foot traffic inside and outside a place of business. Whether you are barring entry to an out-of-bounds area, capping the number of people admissible within your establishment, or separating regions of the venue, barriers and line routes have been highly influential in meeting these goals. 

When inside, pair these barriers with floor decals, and you have the perfect setup for contactless navigation throughout the store. With this in place, there would be no need for any intervention from your employees. 

Privacy and Security

As seen already, barriers are highly useful in managing crowds. At the same time, they can also come in handy for maintaining security and privacy. Events and workplaces can fortify barriers, gates, or even doorways with keypads or keycards to scan that allow only authorized personnel to enter or leave the premises. Such measures will secure the perimeter without dependence on workers maintaining entrances.

Barriers can serve as the outermost layer of security even at stores or other businesses. These form a physical boundary that deters criminals, obscures visual access, and delays unauthorized access. 

Curb Appeal

The combination of crowd control, privacy, and security may make barriers essential. In addition, such advantages do not have to come at the cost of losing the aesthetic design of your storefront. On the contrary, gates and barriers are often the first things your guests or visitors may encounter while attending the event or visiting your business. 

Having high-quality barriers installed can convey a sense of professionalism. It also indicates that you are serious about the safety of your visitors, assets, and employees, which makes it all the more reassuring. Lastly, these barriers can also be a strategic spot to set up banners and posters that can further advertise the store, business, or event.

Floor Management

The pandemic may have dealt a heavy blow on the possibility of continuing with open workspaces, but offices often have minimal scope in manipulating the floor of their office space. Barriers and partitions are effortless to install while also being semi-permanent and modular at the same time. As such, you can set up separate cubicles or cabins for employees without the massive capital investment involved. 

By granting privacy to your employees, you can offer them a productivity boost by granting access to space exclusively dedicated to them and their use. The use of glass partitions can also create an illusion of making smaller spaces appear larger than they truly are. As a result, offices can make optimum use of the available space they have to work with.

Securing Parking Lots

Parking lot barriers such as bollards, barricades, blockades, etc., can help manage vehicles and ensure overall safety. Apart from setting aside areas for parking one’s vehicle, these can protect pedestrians and prevent vehicular collisions even at night, provided you use lighted barriers or those decked with reflectors. 

In addition, when placed around the business perimeter, such barriers can prevent unfettered vehicles from crashing into your business, especially during smash and grab incidents.