Safety barrier

Platform barriers at the station of Paulinenaue (Berlin–Hamburg high-speed track)

A safety barrier is a component which prevents passage into a dangerous area. It is commonly used to mitigate risk in the Hazard-Barrier-Target model, as studied in safety science.

In an industrial setting, it may be a fence or window, designed to keep the operator away from moving parts or other hazards. In an automotive setting, it may be a Traffic barrier or Jersey Barrier, separating lanes/directions of traffic flow. Hard barriers are fixed or removable guards which prevent entry. Soft barriers are devices such as light curtains which detect the presence of a foreign body and are tied into the control circuit to stop the machine.

Work Safe Victoria (an Australian organization) defines a Safety Barrier as a device that:^[1]

• physically separate the work area and the travelled way,
• are designed to resist penetration of an out-of control vehicle, and
• have properties which redirect an out-of-control vehicle back on to the road away from the work area.

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