Reliable Protection Across a Major Logistics Site
Brandsafe delivered a comprehensive warehouse safety installation at Amazon’s Rochdale operation, combining traffic calming, route definition, impact protection and controlled access across internal and external areas.
Amazon’s Rochdale operation is based at Kingsway Business Park, a 420-acre employment site beside Junction 21 of the M62. Rochdale Borough Council records show that Amazon was operational from Kingsway 216 by September 2021. The original development was described as an approximately 216,000 sq ft warehouse.
A facility of this scale presents several distinct safety requirements. HGV approaches, material handling equipment, loading activity, pedestrian movement, external storage areas and service infrastructure all need to operate within the same environment.
No single barrier system could address every exposure effectively. Working alongside Ashton Smith Associates, Brandsafe supplied and installed a coordinated selection of steel barriers, polymer protectors, bollards, handrails and traffic management products.
Products installed:
- 27 commercial speed bumps
- Four yellow wheel guides
- 760 mm-high yellow Armco barrier systems
- Black polymer Armco safety ends, corners and post caps
- Four yellow Lamp Post WRAP protectors
- Pedestrian handrail
- Six yellow PolyWRAP column protectors
- 12 Heavy Duty Demountable Drop Core Bollards
- Eight demountable ImpactSAFE Bollards
- Yellow speed-calming flexi delineators
- Six bespoke double-eared motorcycle anchor-point bollards
Project Details
End client: Amazon
Location: Kingsway Business Park, Rochdale, Greater Manchester
Sector: E-commerce, warehousing and distribution
Architect: Ashton Smith Associates Ltd
Project type: Warehouse traffic management, impact protection and controlled access installation
Service: Supply and installation
Addressing Different Risks Across the Facility
The project extended beyond protecting a single warehouse route or group of columns.
Some areas required a long, continuous barrier between vehicles and infrastructure. Others needed compact protection that would not take up valuable operating space. Certain access points had to remain available to authorised vehicles, while loading approaches required clearer guidance and speed management.
The installation was therefore designed as a connected safety system. Product selection considered the type of movement taking place, the available space, the asset being protected and whether future access would be required.
Defining Vehicle Routes with Armco Barriers
Yellow powder-coated, 760 mm-high Armco barriers were installed around sections of the warehouse perimeter and alongside routes leading towards loading bays and warehouse doors.
These longer barrier runs create a clearly visible physical boundary between vehicle movements and vulnerable areas. They were also used to protect external electrical equipment and other critical infrastructure positioned near operational routes.
Black polymer corners were fitted where the barriers changed direction. Orange diamond-grade reflectors added contrast and helped make the corners easier for drivers to identify, particularly in lower-light conditions.
Black post caps andArmco Safety Ends completed the systems. The safety ends cover exposed rail terminals and provide a smoother, more visible finish near doorways, access points and pedestrian areas.
Armco was also used around some structural columns. Where the exposed area extended beyond a single face or required a longer protective boundary, a continuous barrier system offered more suitable coverage than a compact wraparound protector.
Managing Speeds and Clarifying Traffic Routes
Twenty-seven commercial speed bumps were installed across approved internal and external routes to reinforce the facility’s traffic rules and encourage lower, more consistent vehicle speeds.
Their positions were selected around the permitted vehicles and operating conditions. This is important because HSE guidance notes that traffic-calming features must be suitable for the industrial vehicles using the route.
Yellow flexi delineators provided additional visual guidance. Used alongside the Armco barriers, column protection and access-control bollards, they helped drivers recognise permitted routes, lane boundaries and changes in direction.
The delineators can flex following incidental contact, making them useful for visual demarcation in areas where material handling equipment may need some operational clearance. They do not replace impact-rated protection, but they strengthen the wider traffic management layout.
Four yellow wheel guides were also installed at vehicle approach points. These help drivers align their vehicles more consistently and reduce the likelihood of contact with adjacent structures during manoeuvring.
Improving the Visibility of External Lamp Posts
Four yellow Lamp Post WRAP protectors were fitted around perimeter lamp posts positioned near vehicle turning areas.
Lamp posts can be difficult to identify when drivers are concentrating on a wider vehicle’s turning path, particularly during poor weather or low-light operations. The high-visibility wraps and reflective bands make the posts more prominent while providing an additional protective layer against lower-speed contact.
The wraparound format also avoids the need to install a large barrier footprint around each individual post.
Combining Protection with Temporary Access
Twelve Heavy Duty Demountable Drop Core Bollards were installed where physical protection had to coexist with occasional vehicle or equipment access.
The removable steel cores lift out of their installed floor sockets when authorised access is required. They can then be returned to position without dismantling the surrounding layout.
This made the bollards suitable for access points where permanent fixed protection could interfere with maintenance, deliveries or changes in operation.
Eight demountable ImpactSAFE Bollards were also positioned around external storage areas. Their fixing arrangement allows the bollards to be removed when legitimate access is needed, while providing a strong and clearly visible boundary during normal operation.
Together, the two bollard systems gave the facility physical protection without permanently closing operational access routes.
Developing a Bespoke Access-Control Solution
Six double-eared motorcycle anchor-point bollards were developed for locations where parking and vehicle access needed to be controlled.
The removable posts can only be released by authorised personnel with the correct key. This helps deter unauthorised parking or vehicle movement while ensuring the route can still be opened when operational access is required.
The double-eared design also provides practical motorcycle anchor points.
These bollards demonstrate how Brandsafe can work with a project team when a standard stocked product does not fully meet the brief. Rather than forcing an unsuitable system into the application, the design was adapted around the access, security and operational requirements of the site.
Protecting Structural Columns with PolyWRAP
Six yellow PolyWRAP Column Protectors were installed around structural columns within the building.
Their compact design made them appropriate for locations where floor space and operating clearance were limited. The high-visibility yellow finish helps drivers recognise the columns, while the wraparound construction provides protection around multiple faces.
Each PolyWRAP was secured using heavy-duty ratchet straps. No mechanical floor fixing was required, allowing the protectors to be removed when columns need to be cleaned, inspected or accessed for maintenance.
This created a useful contrast with the Armco installations. PolyWRAP provided close-fitting column protection in restricted spaces, while Armco was used where a longer defensive boundary was needed.
Improving Loading Bay Alignment
Four yellow HGV Cranked Dock Wheel Guides were installed inside the loading-bay doors, where their function extends beyond vehicle alignment. Their robust construction and high-visibility finish create a clear physical boundary around the roller shutters, helping protect the doors and surrounding dock infrastructure from accidental contact during daily operations.
The cranked, funnel-style design also helps guide vehicles and material handling equipment into a more controlled position as pallets and stillages move through the loading bays. This supports more efficient loading and unloading while reducing the likelihood of impacts, damage and operational disruption around these busy access points.
A Connected Warehouse Safety System
The completed Amazon Rochdale warehouse safety project combined several forms of protection rather than relying on a single product throughout the facility.
Together, the completed installation delivered:
- More clearly defined internal and external vehicle routes
- Physical speed controls at selected locations
- Continuous Armco protection around larger exposed areas
- Compact protection for structural columns and lamp posts
- Improved vehicle guidance at loading-bay approaches
- Protection for electrical equipment and critical infrastructure
- Removable bollards where occasional access was required
- Controlled access to restricted routes and dedicated motorcycle anchoring points
- Clearer separation between pedestrian and vehicle areas
Each product fulfilled a distinct role, but every component formed part of one coordinated protection scheme.
The result is a more coherent warehouse traffic management layout that supports everyday operations while helping protect people, buildings, infrastructure, storage areas and access points.
Planning a Warehouse Safety Upgrade?
Large logistics facilities rarely have one type of impact risk.
Brandsafe can assess vehicle movements, pedestrian routes, loading areas, structural columns, access requirements and vulnerable infrastructure before recommending a suitable combination of barriers, bollards and traffic management products.
Contact Brandsafe to discuss warehouse impact protection, vehicle segregation or traffic safety requirements for your facility.
