Protecting critical routes for a modern healthcare and research facility
Brandsafe supplied and installed a coordinated package of steel and polymer impact protection at Adanac Health and Innovation Campus in Southampton.
The completed installation protects key routes, external access points and vulnerable building areas around this specialist healthcare facility.
Project Overview
Supporting essential healthcare and research services
Adanac Health and Innovation Campus gives University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust additional space to expand essential services beyond its constrained main hospital site.
Prime plc developed the specialist 6,600 m² building at Plot 2. Willmott Dixon delivered the construction, while ONE Creative environments Limited designed the facility.
The building houses a new aseptic pharmacy and Sterile Services Department. The aseptic pharmacy supports the controlled preparation and production of sterile medicines for UHS and other healthcare providers across the region.
Meanwhile, the Sterile Services Department processes medical devices, equipment and surgical instruments used in patient care.
University Hospital Southampton is also a major university teaching and research trust. It works closely with the University of Southampton to support medical research, education and innovation.
Project details
End client: University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Developer: Prime plc
Architect: ONE Creative environments Limited
Main contractor: Willmott Dixon
Location: Southampton
Protecting busy routes and access points
Staff, vehicles, equipment and essential supplies move regularly around the facility. This activity creates several potential impact risks around external routes, loading points and building access areas.
The project required physical protection without restricting deliveries or daily operations. Pedestrian areas also needed clear definition where people and operational traffic could come into close contact.
Brandsafe selected a combination of steel and polymer systems to address each risk point. This allowed the team to provide high-strength protection where direct vehicle contact was more likely, while using visible polymer products around access points and pedestrian routes.
Impact protection products installed
Armco 760 Safety Barrier
Brandsafe installed Armco 760 Safety Barrier along exposed routes and vulnerable building areas.
The steel barrier creates a physical boundary between moving vehicles and the infrastructure behind it. At 760 mm high, the rail provides low-level protection while helping define vehicle routes around the facility.
Its clear profile protects critical areas without unnecessarily restricting access for deliveries, staff or specialist equipment.
Polymer Armco Safety Ends
Brandsafe fitted yellow polymer safety ends with reflectors to exposed Armco rail ends. Push-fit polymer post caps were also added to open barrier posts.
These accessories cover exposed metal edges and reduce the risk of snagging or accidental contact in areas used by staff and visitors.
Their high-visibility yellow finish makes barrier termination points easier to identify. Reflectors fitted to the safety ends provide additional visibility in lower light conditions.
Polymer Armco Barrier Post Caps
Brandsafe fitted yellow Armco Post Caps to the exposed tops of the barrier’s I-beam posts.
The push-fit PVC caps cover sharp steel edges, helping reduce snagging and accidental contact risks for staff and visitors passing close to the barrier.
Their contrasting yellow finish also makes the posts easier to identify, while installation requires no tools or additional fixings.
Together, these Armco accessories make the system suitable not only for demanding warehouse and industrial environments, but also for front-of-house areas and car parks where impact protection must remain visible, practical and unobtrusive.
Wall Mounted Armco Barrier
Brandsafe installed Wall Mounted Armco Barrier where vulnerable building areas needed protection but available floor space was limited.
Fixing the Armco rail close to the wall reduced the amount of space occupied within operational routes. This helped maintain access while protecting the building fabric from vehicle and equipment contact.
The compact arrangement made the system particularly suitable for tighter areas around the facility.
HR50 Polymer and Steel Handrail System
HR50 Polymer and Steel Handrail Systems were installed to define pedestrian routes and support clearer separation from operational traffic.
The steel structure provides strength, while the yellow polymer sleeves make the handrail easier to identify. The sleeved finish also creates a consistent appearance alongside the other high-visibility products installed across the site.
Clear route definition helps staff and visitors understand where they should walk around busy external areas.
PAS 13-Tested Single Bumper Polymer Barriers
Yellow Single Bumper Polymer Barriers were installed outside the facility and around key access points.
These areas may experience the movement of larger loads, medical supplies and specialist equipment entering or leaving the building. The barriers protect nearby infrastructure while creating a clear, visible boundary.
Standing 370 mm high, the Single Bumper Barrier provides low-level protection without unnecessarily restricting visibility or operational access. Its flexible HDPE construction deflects under impact and reforms afterwards.
IWS Group tested the Single Bumper Barrier to PAS 13 standards using a weighted pendulum testing rig. At a 90° impact angle, the barrier absorbed 11,000J of energy. At a 45° impact angle, it absorbed 22,000J.
These results are equivalent to an impact from a 3,500 kg forklift travelling at 5.7 mph, with a measured deflection of 234 mm. All testing used M12 Safety Plus Anchors.
Project insight from Brandsafe
“This project required careful planning because the protection systems needed to manage vehicle and equipment movement without restricting access to an important healthcare facility.
“Everyone involved has done an excellent job in bringing the installation together. By combining steel and polymer protection, we have helped safeguard vulnerable routes and building areas while maintaining clear access for staff, visitors and essential equipment.
“The finished layout supports clearly defined pedestrian routes, as well as the safe movement of heavy equipment through loading, unloading and access areas. It is a strong example of selecting the right protection for each risk point, and a project the whole team can be proud to have supported.”
– George Howe, Head of Commercial Sales at Brandsafe.
A clear and practical protection layout
The completed installation provides a coordinated approach to impact protection around the specialist healthcare facility.
Armco systems protect vulnerable building areas and higher-risk vehicle routes. Polymer barriers provide visible, flexible protection around important external access points.
Meanwhile, the handrail systems define pedestrian areas and make movement around the site easier to understand.
Together, these products help reduce the risk of avoidable impact damage without creating unnecessary obstacles for staff, deliveries or equipment.
The project shows how carefully specified healthcare safety barriers can protect critical routes while supporting the safe and efficient operation of an essential healthcare facility.
Planning a healthcare impact protection project?
Speak to the Brandsafe project team about selecting steel and polymer protection for healthcare facilities, external access routes and vulnerable infrastructure.
