Friday, April 13, 2018

3 Ways That Bike Racks Can Boost Your Business

When they think about bike racks, Perth business owners and managers may not connect them to a boost in business. This could be a big mistake. In recent years cycling has surged in popularity, and yet cyclists are a largely ignored demographic. It’s true that you may see public bike racks in locations dotted around the towns and cities. However, even at this juncture, many businesses are ignoring a potential source of new customers and revenue. In this article, we will look at three ways that installing cycling infrastructure at your business location could boost your businesses performance.

1. Cyclists Stay Longer and Spend More

This was the conclusion reached by studies conducted in the U.S., and they make for interesting reading. It was discovered that cyclists spend more than motorists and take their time when they stop. They don’t need fuel, but they will require other items, such as bottled drinks, filtered water, snacks, lip balm, cycle related products or a cooked meal. Cyclists were found to have a high discretionary income; they care about their lifestyle and appreciate offers to accommodate them. If your business is selling food, drinks or health related products, you would be wise to install a bike rack for your potential customers.

2. Employee Health and Well Being

Customers are important but don’t forget about your employees and their needs. An employee that wants to cycle to work each day should be helped with a secure place to store their bike and change. Healthy employees are far more productive and will free up more room for other parking needs or perhaps more bike racks! If you have an insurance or health benefits package for your employees, it may be possible to negotiate a better rate if they cycle to work each day.

3. Space is Expensive

Anyone that has dabbled in real estate or rented a commercial property will understand the costs of space. A single parking space could cost a business a pretty penny over the course of a single year, and that figure may need to be multiplied many times. A bike parking structure takes up far less space and encourages people to cycle to your business. Of course, you will still need parking spaces, but you can fit many more cycles into a similar sized area, and this means more visitors and more sales.

If they are looking for bike racks, Perth WA based business managers should contact us here at Image Bollards. We supply and install a wide selection of high quality security and safety related equipment including bike racks. All of our product line is manufactured to exacting standards and are fully compliant with all Australian rules and regulations. Our team is standing by to advise you on the latest bike racks for sale price, and they will be happy to discuss your project in further detail.

Looking at Crowd Control Barriers for Crowd Control

Crowd control barriers have evolved a great deal over the last decade in terms of construction and how they can be deployed. Any event organiser will understand that they are vital when hosting a larger event for a number of different reasons. In this article, we will take a closer look at these deployment methods and examine how they would be used in some typical scenarios.

Separation of Locations

When you have a larger crowd, it’s important to create restricted spaces where your team can organise and work effectively. First aid areas are a prime example of a space where you would need to be away from the bustle of an excited crowd. Logistical concerns for your staff, including break areas, bottled water storage, and your control station would also need to be cordoned off from the main event. For main stage events, it may be necessary to use barriers to separate the stage from the crowd area, and additional space will be needed for security personnel.

The Inevitable Queue

We seem to see queues everywhere at events these days, and it’s a rare experience to not encounter one. Organising a queue for a crowd could easily merit an entire article on its own, but let's take a look at some basic principles. The fencing structure that you create will need to keep the queue happy and safe. This will require an orderly approach to the entrances of the venue and allow security personnel to have access to any point in the queue. If there are any troublemakers, they will need to be able to remove them from the queue easily without making the situation worse. There will need to be enough room at the end of the queue near the entrance to the event to check tickets and passes.

Creating Paths

Once the event goers have entered the event, it’s still likely that they will have to queue at certain locations. Crowd control barriers can be used to form paths to and from these locations. A block of toilets would be a good example here, and it’s important to allow enough space to queue, enter and then leave, whilst maintaining an efficient flow of people. A path could also be created into a crowd area to allow staff to move around freely without passing through large groups of event goers.

If they are looking for effective crowd control barriers, Perth based facility managers and event organisers should contact us at Image Bollards. We can supply and install a wide selection of high quality security and safety equipment including crowd control products. Our entire range is fully compliant with all current Australian rules and regulations. Our team is standing by to advise you on the latest crowd control barriers for sale price, and they will be happy to answer your remaining questions.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Using Wheel Stops in Parking Lots

A good exercise employed by many top designers is to place themselves in the position of the person they are designing for. The shopping experience has changed a great deal over the last few decades, and the parking lot is where everything begins. A parking lot will give the customer their first impression, and it’s vital to make sure that they have a great experience. Some key considerations are efficiency, safety and branding, and how they are used for car parking and to promote your business. Let’s examine this in greater detail and look at how wheel stops have a vital part to play in this experience.

Ugly Car Parks
Many parking structures are in a poor state of repair and are not maintained regularly. This can be caused by a variety of factors, and the weather plays a major part. If you recall parking on a car park like this, it’s likely that you had a very poor initial reaction. Most retailers spend most if not all of their remodelling budgets inside the store or on the frontage. This will enhance the shopping experience inside, but a poor quality parking experience will drive some customers away. A poor car park may even develop a reputation for a bad safety record that will send potential customers to a rival retailer.

Start with a Plan

The first requirement for upgrading and improving a parking experience is to create a plan. Think of the car park as an entry hall into your home; it needs to be welcoming, safe and comfortable to put people at ease. A well organised parking area will have sufficient corrals for shopping trolleys that will be collected regularly. Each parking space will have wheel stops to protect pedestrian walkways from car accidents when starting and parking. Visibility and safety can be improved with other measures, such as signs, road markings, and mirrors for tighter turning areas.

Safety is Key

A poor quality car park is a location that can be a safety nightmare for pedestrians and drivers alike. The shopping experience is often a draw for families with smaller children that cannot be seen in a rear view mirror. Even low speed collisions can be extremely dangerous for small children and traffic calming measures are essential. Any measure adopted for safety should be visible in low light conditions, and solar powered lighting can help increase visibility at night. Removable bollards can be used to open up and close off areas as required.

If they are looking for wheel stops, Perth property managers should contact us here at Image Bollards. We can supply and install a wide selection of high quality safety and security equipment including rubber wheel stops. All of our product range is manufactured to high standards and are fully compliant with Australian regulations. Our team members are standing by to discuss your project in more detail, and they will be happy to answer any remaining queries that you may have.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

How to Choose Wheel Chocks for Your Site

Any business manager or site manager that has heavier vehicles or trailers on their property needs to consider using wheel chocks. These are crucial for preventing vehicle roll overs at designated stopping points and can be used for inclined parking. These kinds of stops can be made in a variety of different materials and choosing the chock that’s right for your needs can be confusing. Here are a few tips to help you in choosing the right kind of wheel chock to meet the needs of your site and business.
Wheel Chock Construction:
Some sites use steel Wheel chocks to ensure that larger vehicles both stop and have a secure obstacle to rest against. This is a perfectly respectable choice, but in recent years it has fallen out of favour for a few crucial reasons. Firstly, steel truck wheel chocks can cause damage to the wheel if the impact is too severe and on larger vehicles, this could be expensive. Secondly, steel chocks will become damage over time and could start to corrode, which would necessitate a replacement. Lastly, steel is an expensive material, and a steel chock can be expensive to install. The most popular choice these day is a far more friendly alternative, recycled rubber.
Recycled Rubber Chocks:
The use of recycled rubber in all kinds of road related products, such as wheel ramps, truck chocks, and kerb ramps, has become popular for a number of good reasons. Firstly, recycled rubber is a green product that is a good choice for the environmentally conscious business owner. Secondly, recycled rubber is kinder on tyres and wheels of all kinds of vehicles. Less than ideal impacts may give the driver a bit of a bounce to remind them to take care, but the vehicle will not be damaged. Finally, recycled rubber doesn’t chip, corrode or warp in the sun, and rubber wheel chocks are cheaper to buy and simple to install.
Situating Wheel Chocks:
Professional safety experts, recommend getting a wheel chock that is a quarter of the height of the tyre using it. It’s usually a good idea on areas that are accommodating larger vehicles to install more than one chock. This is especially true if the chock will be used to provide parking stability on an incline, in this case, one wheel chock per tyre is recommended. If you’re in any doubt about how to plan for a wheel chock installation, get in touch with a professional, and they will be able to offer valuable input.

If you’re in the market for truck wheel chocks for your site, contact us here at Image Bollards. We can supply and install a diverse selection of security and safety equipment, including rubber wheel chocks. All of our product range is manufactured to extremely high tolerances and in full compliance with Australian rules and regulations. Our sales team is looking forward to discussing your needs in greater detail and answering any remaining questions you have.

Should Your Bollards be Made from Stainless Steel - Perth Site Manager Questions Answered

There are many different types of bollards available today, and it’s easy for a busy business owner or site manager to become confused. One of the best options that has really become popular in recent years is the removable stainless steel bollard. This kind of bollard has a number of advantages and is extremely flexible to use. Let’s take a closer look at some of these advantages so that you can make an informed decision on whether they are a good fit for your location.
Stainless Steel:
The construction material used in any kind of bollard largely determines its suitability in its given role. As an example: a plastic bollard would be a poor choice to protect a pedestrian area in a busy warehouse loading bay area. The beauty of stainless steel is that it is extremely tough, but it is also corrosion resistant and very attractive to look at. This makes the Stainless steel bollard a fantastic choice to increase safety and security without spoiling the aesthetics of your site. When you run a site where looks are extremely important, it’s a great advantage to have a bollard that can perform as required and look great at the same time.
Removable Bollards:
The removable bollard is a very flexible solution for your site for both safety and security. Access to certain areas for vehicular traffic can be granted or denied as required. This can be handy for special events, to meet demands at certain times of the day or even in emergency situations. Spaces can be contracted or expanded as required and security is improved. These kinds of bollards are locked in place when deployed, to ensure that only those authorised to move them can do so. A removable bollard can also have reflective surfaces, making them a great solution for sites that have access at night or in low light conditions.
Stainless Steel Bollards in Use:
There are some great advantages to using Stainless steel removable bollards on a day to day basis. Firstly, because of their stainless steel manufacture, they are resistant to corrosion and extreme weather conditions. They are quite easy to install and may be cheaper to install than permanent bollards. Finally, they add a stylish modern look to your site, which makes them a popular choice for site managers concerned with appearances.

If you’re interested in using a stainless steel bollard product on your site, contact us. At Image Bollards, we supply, and we can install a wide selection of safety and security products, we even sell stainless steel bins. All of our range is manufactured to high standards and is fully compliant with Australian standards. Our sales team is standing by to discuss your needs in detail, and they will be happy to address any remaining questions you may have.

Everything You Need to Know About Dugite Bollards

If you’re a safety focused property owner or site manager, you may already have heard about dugite bollards. Dugite is a brand name for a tough galvanised steel that is used in our security bollards. This bollard is ideal for boosting security in areas that could be prone to ram raiding and for preventing damage to your property. These bollards are permanently situated, available in a variety of sizes and fitted with a reflective band. Let’s take a closer look at the care and maintenance of this security bollard.
Washing Dugite Bollards:
We all like our commercial sites to look as presentable as possible to attract clients and customers. Despite being a security product, dugite bollards look business like and tidy, but like any exterior feature, they can get dirty. As a galvanized steel product they need to be cleaned without using abrasives. If an abrasive cleaning product or rough scrubbing pad is used to clean them, the protective patina coating will be damaged and degraded in effectiveness. This patina is a zinc anti corrosion surface, and its removal could make the steel more susceptible to corrosion and rust. When cleaning these kinds of bollards, use a soft cloth or sponge and an alkaline based cleaner with a pH level of 12 or lower. Afterward, rinse with clean water and the bollards will look as good as new.
Corrosive Environments:
It’s not recommended that you use galvanised products in an area that is very corrosive. This could be any area where the pH level would be below 6 and above 12. When the atmosphere or splashed liquids are too alkaline or acidic, galvanized surfaces can be damaged. If the dugite bollards have been exposed to this kind of material they need to be washed down with potable water to remove the corrosive material. This is especially important if the exposure has taken place indoors, where the is no chance of rainwater washing the material away and the exposure levels will be more concentrated.
Repairing Galvanized Surfaces:
When a product is galvanized, it has extra protection from the elements to resist corrosion. However, if the surface is damaged the protection will be compromised at the site where the impact occurred. In order, to retain the corrosion protection, the damaged area will need to be repaired. The repair should be conducted in accordance with AS/NZS 4680, or if the damage is too extensive to repair, the bollard should be replaced.

If you’re in the market for Dugite security bollards and car park stoppers, contact us. Here at Image Bollards we supply and even in install if required, a wide selection of safety and security equipment. All of our product range is manufactured to high standards and are fully compliant with Australian standards. Our sales team is standing by to discuss your needs in more detail and to answer any questions you may have.