Traffic Barrier Guide

Temporary safety barriers play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of both workers and pedestrians, whether it involves protecting workers on roadside projects or preventing pedestrians from accessing areas on a worksite.

However, with so many different types of safety barriers available, it can be difficult to know which one is right for your project. Explore our range of traffic management and road safety equipment to find the right solution for your project. Shore Hire is here to help and will explain in this blog post what temporary safety barriers are, what they can be used for, and which of our barriers is the best fit for different types of projects.

What Are Temporary Safety Barriers?

Temporary safety barriers are a type of protective traffic management system usually made from concrete, plastic, or steel. They are designed to be easily installed and removed and relatively maintenance-free, coming in a range of sizes, colours, weights, and designs to suit different applications.

All temporary safety barrier systems need to be installed in accordance with Australian Standard AS/NZS 3845 and the individual state or territory guidelines your project is in.

In January 2022, all states and territories in Australia mandated the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware or MASH criteria for road safety barriers.

What Can Temporary Safety Barriers be Used For?

When you think of a temporary safety barrier, you’re most likely going to think of concrete road barriers that are typically found in the middle or the side of the road, separating traffic lanes, protecting roadside construction sites, etc. These barriers work by absorbing the impact from a vehicle if it hits the barrier, redirecting it away from the construction site and its workers.

Temporary safety barriers can also be used on a construction site to create a barricade between workers or pedestrians and hazards, control access to restricted areas, and concrete barriers can even be used as a counterweight system for props.

What Temporary Safety Barriers Does Shore Hire Offer?

Concrete T-Lok Barriers: Our Concrete T-Lok Barriers are a temporary longitudinal barrier system that has an Austroads Safety Barrier Assessment Panel (ASBAP) approval to 100km/hour.

They are durable and heavy-duty and have a range of features, including a unique interconnecting T-Lok locking system and swift lift lifting points to make installation as easy as possible. We also have a Kenco Barrier Lifter, which automatically clamps over the top of the barriers to allow them to be safely and efficiently lifted into place. Our Concrete T-Lok Barriers comply with AS/NZS 3845 and is Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) rated.

These barriers can be used for protecting workers from out-of-control cars, flying debris, and other accidents that can occur on roadside job sites, traffic diversion and separation, crowd control, and as a counterweight system for props.

Triton Barriers: Our Triton Barriers are a portable water-filled plastic barrier system that feature an internal steel frame that can help to redirect plant if they hit the barrier.

These barriers have a convenient modular design that consists of a series of 2m barrier sections. They also feature quick-release taps to easily drain the water from the barriers when dismantling, gawk fencing for added safety, and an incredibly quick set up time – up to 180m of barriers can be installed per hour with just three workers.

These barriers can be used on some roads or for roadside projects, but they will not be suitable for all projects. Make sure you check with your state’s legislation or with Shore Hire for accurate information about your project. Triton Barriers can also be used for traffic diversion and separation, site protection from pedestrians or traffic, and crowd control. One benefit of choosing a water-filled barrier over a concrete barrier is their transport weight, when unfilled, is significantly less than that of a concrete barrier.

We also offer a range of other water-filled barrier solutions to suit different project requirements. Learn why Armorzone barriers are a great choice for road projects, thanks to their practicality, safety and ease of deployment. 

SH 2000 Water-Filled Barriers: Our SH 2000 Water-Filled Barriers are a portable water-filled plastic barrier system; please note that these cannot be used as a crash barrier or on main roads.

These lightweight barriers are easily transportable, weighing only 32kg when not filled with water. Once interlocked and filled with water on-site, they are a maintenance-free sturdy barrier system. If required, the top of each barrier features openings for installing mesh fencing or flashing lights.

The SH 200 is a popular crowd control and delineation device for pedestrian and vehicle separation at sporting venues and construction sites. These barriers cannot be used as a crash barrier, on main roads, or for roadside projects.

For more information about our complete range of Temporary safety barriers and equipment, visit your nearest branch, email [email protected], or call our friendly team of experts at 1800 UR HIRE.