Compass Protection

Crash Barriers and Safety Barriers are a familiar sight on motorways and roads, but the properties of a barrier designed for highways use are different to those needed to protect people and structures in places such as car parks, service yards, factories and warehouses.

Normally on a highway, when a vehicle crashes into the crash barrier in the central reserve, the impact tends to be at a fairly sharp 20 degree angle and at high speeds. Also, to offer some protection to the driver and passengers, a certain amount of give or deflection is desirable in the way that the safety barrier reacts to the vehicle, to soften the blow of the impact.

It’s use now goes far beyond the racetrack and Armco Barriers can be widely seen as a protective measure for people and property, indoors and outdoors, in locations such as car parks, warehouses, loading bays and yards, factories, docks, quaysides and private roads all over the UK.

The installation of a small amount of crash barrier in the right location can prevent thousands of pounds worth of damage to the fabric of your buildings, stock, machinery and plant.

Armco Car Park Barriers are the most common type of barrier and you have probably seem them along the centre of Roads and Motorways.

Versatile in use, they are 310mm wide with 85mm corrugations and are generally available as a 3.2 metre effective length ,achieved from a 3.5M overall beam or 1.6m from a 1.9m overall beam both have a 300mm overlap at each end and are jointed with 8 no bolts.

We can supply “make up” beams cut to exact size for your required run length or we can fabricate specials to suit any situation. Curved beams are available to accommodate the contours of your site, but a curve of 50m can be achieved with standard car park barriers..

Armco Barrier Corners and Drop Downs for Ramps.

The Ramped Down type terminal that you see on Highways are generally unnecessary for barriers installed in offroad applications. Because of the different dynamics of impact, Highways systems generally use weaker posts designed to knock down and rely on firmly anchored distant points at each end. Whilst Offroad Barriers are designed to be strong enough between posts to resist impact and do not usually require anchoring at the ends.

Handrail

It is often necessary to have an Armco Barrier Handrail combined system which has a handrail at 1100mm high over the top of the crash barrier beams to comply with regulations and standards.

Both Armco Barrier and Open Box Beam Systems are available with tubular post extensions to facilitate an integrated handrail at a finished height of 1100mm. This is ideal when the barrier is installed along side a pedestrian walkway.

Compass Protection Manufacturing Ltd’s standard Integrated handrail system utilizes “Ball Standard” type fittings and 48.3mm diameter tubing. We can also provide for 42.4mm diameter handrail and supply with Clamp Type handrail Fittings if required.

We supply posts with the handrail extensions already welded into position or loose extensions with plates to allow them to be bolted to existing posts by drilling 2no 12mm diameter holes

Mesh Infill

When an Armco Barrier Handrail system is installed in a public place, the handrail must finish 1100mm above the highest foothold. This is especially necessary on multi storey car parks where children can climb on them. By fitting an anti climb mesh to encase the front of the barrier, footholds are removed meaning that the handrail can be set 1100mm above the ground and not 1100mm above the top of the barrier where it would be useless.

As with handrail, both Armco Barrier and Open Box Beam Systems are available with mesh infill.

Upper panels fill the gap between the top of the barrier and the handrail and prevent people, particularly children, climbing through.

The Lower panels fill the gap between the bottom of the barrier and the ground and besides preventing access, have the added advantage of stopping litter blowing through.                                                        

These are  a few of the ways that Safety Barriers can be mounted on to the vertical posts. These layouts will provide a solution to the needs of most situations. Should you, however, have a problem that cannot be overcome by using a standard layout, then Compass Protection Manufacturing Ltd can manufacture individually designed posts to satisfy your conditions.
Normally on a highway, when a vehicle crashes into the crash barrier in the central reserve, the impact tends to be at a fairly sharp 20 degree angle and at high speeds. Also, to offer some protection to the driver and passengers, a certain amount of give or deflection is desirable in the way that the safety barrier reacts to the vehicle, to soften the blow of the impact.

We do sometimes have some curved barrier in stock, but with the wide variety of combinations of radius and concave or convex it is not possible to carry stock of all of them. Lead times are up to three weeks in the worst case scenario ( though normally about 10 days) so it is best to order them as early as possible.

Open Box Beam (or OBB as it is often called) is a heavier duty barrier system that was originally designed for Highways use on the approach to bridges and other structures.

It is made from thicker 5mm steel than Armco Barrier giving it a more rigid construction.Posts are generally set at 2.4m, 1.6m or 1.2m centres depending on how rigid the finished barrier is required to be. As is shown in more detail below the open backed design of open box beam and the way that the beam is fixed to the post using a clamp plate gives great flexibility in the positioning of the posts.

Internal & External Corners & Angles

Open Box Beam Barrier is such a rigid form of barrier that there is no way of dealing with corners, changes of direction or pronounced drop downs from level ground to sloping ground other than specially fabricated parts.

Fabricated 90 degree mitred corners for open box beam barriers, for both internal and external corners, are available from stock.

Other angles can be fabricated to order to suit your site dimensions. 

Changes of Level

There is no trouble when installing Open Box Beam Barrier to sloping ground, but you may encounter a problem at the where the ground changes from level, or gently sloping, to a pronounced fall in level, such as the start of a ramp. The only way to accommodate this is with a specially fabricated drop off piece made to suit the changes in level.

At times this situation is also combined with a change of direction and a compound mitred section is required to meet the changes of angle in two directions. Compass Protection Manufacturing Ltd can manufacture sections to suit these situations.

Termination of OBB         

When you see Open Box Beam Barriers on the motorways,they are normallterminated with a ramped down terminal. Theses take the barrier from full height down to ground level over a length of 14 metres where they are anchored to a cast in concrete block. We are able to supply these types of terminal but they are an unnecessary expense for non highway installations and they can be terminated at full height with a simple bolt in end cap.

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Flat end caps

Finish the run of OBB at full height and bolt into the end of the beam to cap it off flush with a profiled plate.

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Rounded end caps

Finish the run of OBB at full height and bolt into the end of the beam to give a rounded off end.

All Types of posts can be used with both Armco Barrier and Open Box Beam.

Posts are available from our large stocks in RSJ and light & heavy duty Z-section profile, to bolt down or to cast into concrete.

We are also pleased to offer a range of spring buffer posts to suit most situations.

Column Protectors for all applications.

Structural columns, Lamp standards and sign posts are all vulnerable to being hit by moving vehicles and need protection.

Some of the most exposed points of buildings are vertical structural columns. Whether they are the stilts that a support the upper building in a low level car park susceptible to careless car drivers or roof supports or racking legs in a in a large warehouse building facing forklift trucks, the chances are that they will be impacted at some point.

Single, stand alone structures such as Lamp standards and sign posts, across the World, are struck on a regular basis. Even the solitary sign post in a vast car park will attract someone to reverse into it.

There is always a significant risk to the corners of walls, whether they are internal or external, in commercial and industrial buildings and it is almost inevitable that, without some form of protection, they will suffer damage. The type of traffic moving through the area will determine the level of potential damage and ranges from simple wear and tear of foot traffic, with the occasional bashing from a trolley or cleaners cart, to severe structural damage from moving vehicles such as wagons or forklift trucks.

It would be sensible to give special attention to these locations when doing your risk assessments and Compass Protection Manufacturing Ltd’s range of Corner Guards can give them the level of protection that matches the  element of risk that has been identified.

We offer a range of corner guards to protect from errant vehicle movements in theses situations and can custom build to match your site requirements.

Hoop Barriers manufactured in any size, to suit any situation in mild or stainless steel.

Hoop barriers are a simple but attractive way of providing a delineation barrier. From simple functional manipulated tubular types, to ornate models with laser cut pattern infill panels we have Hoop Barriers to suit your site.

Mild steel models can be provided in a powder coated finish to give a hi-viz finish or to represent your corporate colours. Stainless steel Hoop Barriers can be supplied in mill finish or satin or mirror polished.

Compass Protection specialises in providing high-quality handrails and guards for a wide range of applications. We design, supply, and install durable solutions that enhance safety and compliance in both public and private spaces. Our expert team ensures each product meets rigorous industry standards while blending seamlessly with its environment, offering reliable protection for employees, visitors, and the general public. With a focus on quality, durability, and safety, Compass Protection is your trusted partner for handrails and guards.

Using “ball standards” gives a cost effective, yet custom appearance to an installation. Either tubular or solid upright posts are fabricated with balls welded in to them at the points where the handrails run horizontally.

A variety of ball diameters are available, to suit the size of handrail tube used, and the horizontal handrail passes through them before being fixed in place with a grub screw.

The posts can be secured to a structure with baseplate or sideplate fixings, or they can be cast into concrete foundations.

Our skilled and versatile fabrication department are able to produce Bespoke handrail and Balustrades to your own design drawings or we can take care of the whole package from survey to design and installation, including CAD drawings.

Our fully indemnified design service ensures that the finished edge protection is fully compliant with all relevant British Standards and building regulations with structural calculations provided.

Our mild steel products are hot dip galvanized as standard if for external use and can be polyester powder coated or painted to any RAL colour or specialist metallic finish.

Our stainless steel products can be brushed or polished to a variety of finishes with satin and mirror polished popul

We carry a large range of Kee-Klamp style handrail fittings in stock and can offer NEXT DAY DELIVERY on most items.

Parking Posts

We Supply all of our Parking Posts, Bollards and Bollard Covers UK Wide and they can be made to suit your exact requirements, if you have any specific project or specification you would like to discuss don’t hesitate to get in touch and we will gladly assist you. 

They can be Static, Collapsable or Removable and can be used in a variety of different locations for protection of buildings and or vehicles.

Bollard Covers

We are able to offer our standard design bollards in a range of sizes and profiles to suit your requirements. Our comprehensive fabrication facility also means that we can manufacture to your own designs in Mild or Stainless Steel.  Tidy up old or tatty Bollards with a new Bollard Cover to keep your premises looking clean and tidy.

• Security range.
• Collapsible parking post.
• Economy manual telescopic parking post.
• Removable parking post.
• Galvanized steel static bollard.
• Anti ram raid.

Our Range of bollard covers are an amazing way of updating the look of tired and battered existing bollards, without the hassle of breaking out to replace them.

Often, although old existing bollards may be scuffed and aesthetically compromised, there is nothing structurally wrong with them. Our bollard covers provide a quick and simple solution and give an end result which we think is even better than when they were newly installed.

As anyone who has tried to paint multi-coloured band knows it is not an easy thing to do properly and achieving good even results is very difficult and time consuming. Our bollard covers offer perfect results in a fraction of the time it would take to paint them.

They are a modular design that “click” together in segments to encase the bollard in a colourful protective sheath.

Being modular allows for any colour combination that you wish, allowing you to match the site branding colours if needed.

Suitable for both surface mounted and potted bollards they are easily fitted and are available with a reflective band to the cap section.

Compass Protection delivers expert access and traffic control solutions to keep people, vehicles, and property safe. We supply and install barriers, bollards, gates, and other control systems designed for both security and efficient traffic management. Our products are built to the highest standards, ensuring reliability, durability, and ease of use in a variety of public and private environments. Whether for controlling vehicle access, directing traffic flow, or enhancing site security, Compass Protection provides tailored solutions to meet your specific needs.

Wheel guides are becoming ever more popular due to health and safety, they are installed mainly at the entrance to a loading bay ensuring that vehicles line up with your loading bay doors. 

They have various different uses where a vehicle needs to be properly allinged to an entrance point. Call for a free quote today.

Potted Or Bolt Down

Made to any size

Galvanised & Powder Coated Finish.

Height Restrictor Barriors are used in a number of different scenarios and locations, frequently seen in Car Parks with a height restricted roof or on Filling Station Forecourts. 

Height Restrictors stop vehicles that exceed a certain height to protect the property behind the barrier and also the vehicle from being damaged due to a heaight collision.

Soft impact or Solid Fixed Restrictor

Swing Opening -Single or Double Leaf

Galvanised and Powder Coated Finish.

Swing Arm Barriers are Lockable Barrier Gates to prevent unwanted access which swing open to allow access when required, these gate barriers are used in various different scenarios including factory entrance etc.

Single or Double Arm

Multiple designs available

High Security model available