Many public venues can benefit from crowd control measures – from busy retail units to airports, restaurants and galleries. In this article, we will outline the different common types of crowd control equipment, and the best uses for each.
Rope barriers
Rope barriers are a particularly stylish, high-class option for controlling pedestrian movements. You can use them to block off doorways and staircases, create queueing areas, expand waiting zones outside your premises or prevent people from getting too close to exhibits and artworks. There are a great number of rope barrier options on the market – you can choose your colour, material, length and the type of stanchion or post you prefer so that your rope barrier can be the perfect fit for your aesthetic.
A great choice for:
Gala events, nightclubs, hotel receptions, galleries, museums, VIP cordons and bars.
Retractable belt barriers
A more utilitarian and versatile version of the rope barrier. These retractable barriers are usually contained within a post: the belt barrier is pulled out of the post and connected up to another post or to another belt. Wall mounted options have less flexibility in terms of where you can put them or move them to, but they have the added benefit of not allowing people to simply walk around them or move the stanchion to suit themselves.
Perfect for:
High traffic areas like airports, passport control or customs; banks and retail spaces that need to change queueing areas depending on how busy they are/where cashiers are operating.
Barricades
Barricades are essentially a fence: you can use them to seal off whole areas, pieces of equipment, rooms or to create length walkways. Often easily moveable, metal barricades in particular are a versatile option that can be used to encircle larger spaces.
Used in:
Big spaces like airports and warehouses, outdoor events like festivals and for temporary pedestrian control on construction sites. Plastic options are commonly seen near roadworks or to create diversions around public works.
Merchandising units
Commonly found in lower traffic retail venues, merchandising units can be used to form more permanent queue areas and have the added benefits of promoting products for additional sales and not letting people duck under or hop over.
Found in:
Shops and customer areas that do not require a varied or versatile queue structure.
