Go ahead, bang that bollard

Pity the poor bollard—a device whose sole reason for existence is to take a hit for the proverbial team. Commonly found in warehouses and DCs, these stubby circular posts are built to absorb the impact from strikes by lift trucks and other vehicles, thereby protecting more valuable assets, such as pallet racks or fulfillment workers.

While you might assume that the basic bollard design has long since been perfected, it appears that’s not the case. A Massachusetts company last month announced that it was launching a much-improved version.

Safety product provider McCue Corp., based in Danvers, recently released its SafeStop Bollard 15, saying the new design absorbs and withstands impacts up to 15,000 joules of force, keeping people safe and facilities damage-free.

According to McCue, the new unit is designed specifically to safely stop material handling vehicles, thanks to a blend of synthetic elastomers and high-strength steel that absorbs impact energy.

“These safety bollards advance workplace safety and, most importantly, protect people from harm,” McCue’s chief innovation officer, Thomas Ustach, said in a release. “Designed to dissipate impact energy and attenuate shock, SafeStop redistributes the impact load instead of transferring it to the ground or material handling vehicles.”