Safeguarding, accessibility, and emergency egress.
Campuses and hospitals prioritize people flow and emergency access. Protect entrances and sensitive areas with appropriately selected bollards (432–434), setting pedestrian priority and accessibility widths (231, 237). Maintain clear ambulance routes (233), plan for quiet operation and maintenance windows (525, 734), and align with institutional security policies and drills (547). Provide simple, strong evidence packs for approvals (444, 717). Include one-sentence context that naturally links upward to the parent hubs (this section and the chapter hub). Add SIRA context with a link to SIRA Bollards (UAE) when relevant. Link installation pages only if helpful: What to Expect and Installation Guide.
Important: This is a general guide. For live projects we develop a tailored
Method Statement & Risk Assessment (MS/RA) and align with authority approvals (e.g., SIRA) where in scope.
816.1 Vulnerable users
Prioritize pedestrian priority and egress (231). Use HVM bollard spacing that supports wheelchairs/carts (232).
Education and healthcare sites serve children, wheelchair users, and patients with mobility aids. Start with egress widths (231) and set pedestrian priority as the default mode. Where vehicles are permitted, select HVM vs low-speed (432) based on credible risk. On first mention, define HVM and use inclusive clear-gaps that accommodate wheelchairs, beds, and supply carts.
Spacing rules (232) should be checked against the clear-gap calculation (322) and the array pattern (321). Avoid pinch points near doors and ramps; if necessary, add a short refuge pocket on busy approaches for supervised crossings during school start/finish.
| Aspect | What matters | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Tested system (bollard + footing) | Crash Ratings Explained |
| Operations | Duty cycles, fail-state, safety | Installation Guide |
816.2 Ambulance/fire access
Guaranteed clear openings and EFO logic (233, 354). Fail-safe vs fail-secure documented (355).
Emergency routes must remain unobstructed and rapidly openable. Use Emergency Fast Operation (354) that temporarily lifts interlocks to clear lanes for blue-light access. Document the fail-safe vs fail-secure (355) philosophy in the SoO and list who can trigger an override. Cross-check opening width with Emergency/service access (233) and review modes of operation (525) to prevent lock-outs after drills.
816.3 Campus perimeters
Mix passive lines and controlled nodes (321, 821). Avoid conflict with crossings (237).
Define a secure perimeter that blends passive frontage lines with controlled vehicle access lanes (821). Set sightlines & signage (237) to avoid conflicts at school crossings and ambulance bays. For long campus edges, alternate island clusters with corner chicanes to reduce run-up without cluttering daily life routes.
816.4 Traffic calming synergies
Native calming reduces required ratings (227, 432). Evidence in VDA (224).
Speed tables, bends, street trees, and car-park geometry can reduce approach speeds, often lowering the required bollard rating (432). Capture these “free” mitigations in the speed estimation (224) and VDA (220), documenting the run-up distance and approach vectors (225).
816.5 Wayfinding & cues
Clear signage and lighting levels (353, 357). Heads should be conspicuous without glare (316).
Use consistent safety signalling (353) and markings (357). Choose head designs that are visible by day and do not cause glare at night; see Aesthetics that work (316). Where pedestrians share space with service vehicles, add beaconing at controlled nodes and reinforce with tactile paving at crossings.
816.6 Infection control & cleaning
Materials/finishes compatible with cleaning regimes (363, 366). Protect sensors (345).
Hospitals demand robust cleaning. Select materials & finishes (363) and coatings (366) that tolerate approved disinfectants without chalking or loss of gloss. Shield field devices—loops, photo-eyes, and call stations—from pressure-washing and chemicals; see Field Devices (345). Prefer stainless grades with adequate PREN near clinics and entrances where frequent wipe-downs are expected.
816.7 Quiet hours & noise
HPU/drive noise limits (546). Schedule maintenance (734) around critical periods.
Specify maximum permissible noise at ward facades and classrooms; reference acoustic limits for HPUs/enclosures (546). Use night/quiet mode profiles that slow cycles and limit alarms during exams, surgeries, and rest periods. Plan preventive maintenance (734) in off-peak hours and keep a short event kit to steward crossings during any planned outages.
816.8 Safeguarding & CCTV
Integrate cameras/ANPR with privacy rules (534). Logs retained appropriately (533).
Coordinate CCTV/ACS integration (534) with school/hospital safeguarding policies. Use ANPR at vehicular gates only where lawful and necessary, with privacy masking and retention aligned to policy; publish a concise camera fair-use notice. Expose only essential SCADA/BMS (533) signals to operators and audit override usage through an acceptance log for incidents and drills.
816.9 Pack for authorities
Certificates and accessibility statements (431, 717). Crash rated bollard compliance remains central.
Prepare a concise submission: the certificate & test evidence (431), an accessibility statement referencing egress widths (231) and spacing (232), a decision flow summary for responders, and the completed Authority Submittals list (717). In the UAE, include a SIRA note and confirm conformity of the as-tested system (bollard + foundation) to the proposed installation.
Related
External resources
- NPSA: Hostile Vehicle Mitigation guidance
- FEMA 426 / DHS: Building security reference
- ASTM F2656: Crash-rated barrier systems
816 Education & Healthcare — FAQ
What clear-gap should we use at school entrances?
Follow the people-first rule from egress widths (231) and verify against spacing rules (232). Provide at least one accessible route sized for wheelchairs and carts while keeping the overall array below the clear-gap limit (322).
How do we guarantee ambulance access through automatic bollards?
Use EFO logic (354) and a documented fail-safe vs fail-secure choice (355). Provide a latched manual release and whitelist responders; test monthly under supervision per your MS/RA.
Which rating is typical for school perimeters?
It depends on the Vehicle Dynamics Assessment (220). Where native calming (227) reduces speed and run-up, some frontages may justify lower ratings or targeted low-speed measures (440–446). Keep HVM vs low-speed selection evidence (432–434).
Do we need SIRA approval in the UAE?
If your scope includes bollards for protected buildings or sensitive uses in Dubai, align with authority requirements and include a concise SIRA note and evidence list in your submission. See SIRA Bollards (UAE) for context and contacts.