Top Reasons to Use Parking Lot Barricades and How to Use Them

How to Create Barriers that Save You Time & Money

Managing pedestrian traffic or parking lot traffic is challenging for most schools. There are many reasons that schools may need to add barriers and implement crowd control measures, so it’s important to know what your options are when purchasing. Figuring out which type of barrier is needed, and the benefits it provides will be determined by its use. For example, some barriers work indoors and outdoors, so a multi-purpose barrier can save you money.

In the article “The Top Uses for Parking Lot Barriers at School Events” by OTW Safety, they say “The right barricades can provide great value for administrators and eliminate some of the stress of organizing a big event on campus. The best parking lot barricades are durable, dependable, and above all, create a safer environment.” So finding the right crowd control solution has many benefits including affordability, ease of use, dependability, and increased safety.

We have no doubt that your school’s facility management team, maintenance department, and custodial staff are well aware of the benefits portable barriers can provide. In this article, we discuss the differences between crowd control products and uses for portable parking lot barricades. We also provide specific product details to help you make an informed buying decision for your school.

Crowd Control: Barricades vs Barriers

While comparison shopping for crowd control products you may notice that the terms barricade and barrier seem interchangeable. However, there is a difference between the two. In the Crowd Control blog article "Types of Crowd Control Barrier & Best Uses" by the Tamis Corporation, it says "a crowd control barricade is intended to physically stop or hinder the flow of pedestrian traffic. Crowd control barriers, on the other hand, can act as more of a mental barrier. Belt stanchions are a popular form of crowd control barrier that would never hinder anyone from a given area, it’s more of a way to ask pedestrians to remain orderly and show them how they are intended to act in the crowd."

Retractable barriers support the safe movement of foot traffic in any setting. Belt barriers are essential crowd control components that assist in the formation of orderly lines and help establish diversions to redirect traffic away from dangerous areas. Whenever an area requires traffic direction, a retractable barrier can support the safe movement of people throughout any setting. Create barriers fast with portable stanchions, simply set up where you need them, and then connect the belts from one stanchion to the next.

We offer a variety of barrier products for crowd control including retractable nylon belt systems with stanchions or wall-mounted belt systems. Indoor and outdoor barrier tapes are an inexpensive option for quickly creating barriers in and around your facility. Another affordable option is the Plastic Chain Barriers. They can be easily added to standard-sized traffic cones with the cone handle topper. The Cone Handle Topper easily holds chain or caution tape allowing cones to be used as an effective barrier.

Safety barriers are applicable for maintaining safety for a variety of needs including but not limited to: (1)

Closing off areas where spills or sharp objects are being cleaned.
Restricting access to restrooms or other areas being serviced.
Areas that are under construction can create boundaries where heavy machinery or dangerous tools are in use.
Establish temporary routes or detours to divert traffic from unsafe zones.

What is a portable barricade?

A barricade's sole purpose is to control traffic. According to OSHA, “A barricade is a portable or fixed device having from one to three rails with appropriate markings. It is used to control traffic by closing, restricting, or delineating all or a portion of the right-of-way.”

Outdoor traffic barricades should have heavy-duty construction and be sturdy enough to withstand most weather conditions, such as rain, wind, snow, or ice. They also need to be able to withstand vehicle impact, and since these may be struck by a vehicle, they need to be made of lightweight materials, to prevent serious injury of the vehicle occupants. (2)

During large school events, parking lot barricades help facilitate traffic flow and prevent accidents on school grounds. (3) Some administrators use barricades on a day-to-day basis for managing access or controlling traffic during drop-off and pick-up times. Due to their ease of use and lightweight construction, barricades can be set up fast, anywhere you need them.

We offer many portable, lightweight traffic barricade products. One of our most popular barricades is the Interlocking Plastic Barricades which allow multiple barricade sections to link together to form a safety barrier that is contoured to your specific application. Barricades can be placed in a straight line or at 90-degree angles and even work on uneven surfaces or inclines. Features large 360-degree swivel feet for unsurpassed stability. Use indoors or outdoors and add reflective vinyl signs or aluminum signs to inform or direct traffic.

This portable blow-molded barrier folds away for easy storage and can be used indoors or outdoors. It has a lightweight design, made from impact-resistant blow-molded plastic. This barricade is hinged in four locations for multiple configurations, from work areas to wet floors or anywhere foot traffic is to be restricted. The built-in hinge clips allow multiple sections to be combined for any length.

The multi-use Mobile Folding Traffic Gate is easy-to-use, highly visible, and folds away for easy storage. Limit access to hallways, bus loading, parking, or maintenance areas, with this barricade made of heavy-duty welded and riveted all-steel construction. Designed for easy use by one person, includes casters with brakes, and an interlocking bracket that allows for adding multiple sections to accommodate wider applications.

Uses for Portable Parking Lot Barricades

Closing off specific areas or creating temporary parking such as marking closed lots or creating temporary parking areas on grass or dirt lots.
Managing parking lot traffic or events traffic including football games and other sporting events, field days, pep rallies, graduation ceremonies, etc.
Separating and designating student, faculty, and visitor parking areas.
Designating reserved parking spaces or student drop-off and pick-up areas.
Making crosswalks more visible to drivers, and guiding traffic to protect students or pedestrian traffic.
Displaying school announcements or information for special events, delays or closings, orientation week, providing directions, etc.
Enforcing social distancing guidelines indoors and outdoors, giving reminders to students, visitors, and staff to maintain a safe distance.

Assess your school or facility needs to determine where barriers or barricades are needed. Again, depending on how and where crowd control solutions are used will determine the type of product you need. If you need to create a temporary barrier to separate foot traffic in the hallway, then retractable belt stanchions or cones with a safety chain or barrier tape may be the best option. Both are highly portable and easy to set up and can be configured to fit any scenario.

However, if you are trying to direct parking lot traffic, either to stop traffic from entering a specific area, or guide the traffic flow, you'll need a product that can withstand all weather conditions. This is when a portable parking lot barricade would be best suited. These barricades can cover larger areas, are highly visible for drivers to see, and can be configured to fit any specifications. Although designed for temporary use, these will work for longer periods. Also, portable lightweight barricades can also be used indoors, so that makes this an affordable, all-in-one crowd control solution.

We hope you found this guide helpful. To learn more about solutions to common school maintenance concerns, please visit the School Fix Blog. You can also explore all of our products from our barricades to our whiteboards and more!

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