When heavy equipment is operating around sensitive infrastructure, visibility and protection are critical. At one wastewater treatment plant in Gastonia, NC, operators were experiencing a recurring problem: skid steers were occasionally bumping and damaging moving gates while performing work around the facility.
Clear-View, Inc. was brought in to develop a practical solution that would help operators better judge how close they were getting to these vulnerable areas.
The result was a simple but effective high-visibility bollard installation designed specifically for the facility.
The Challenge: Limited Visibility from a Skid Steer
Operating a skid steer around a wastewater treatment facility requires precision. There are gates, machinery, concrete structures and other infrastructure that operators need to work around.
The problem was that operators sitting inside the skid steer cab couldn’t always see what was immediately beside them.
This limited visibility made it difficult to judge just how close the equipment was getting to the facility’s moving gates. Even a minor bump could damage the gates and create an unnecessary maintenance issue.
The facility needed a way to give operators a better visual reference without interfering with their normal work.
A Simple Solution: High-Visibility Bollards
Clear-View recommended installing bright yellow bollards immediately beside the sensitive areas.
The purpose wasn’t to physically stop the skid steer. Instead, the bollards provide a highly visible reference point that helps the operator understand where the machine is in relation to the protected equipment.
The bright yellow finish makes the bollards easy to see from the operator’s position, providing a visual cue when the skid steer is getting close to the gate.
This is a great example of how strategically placed bollards can do more than protect buildings and parking areas. They can also be used to help define boundaries and protect important infrastructure in industrial environments. Clear-View’s bollard services are designed to provide infrastructure protection and help reduce the risk of accidental vehicle damage.
Built for This Specific Application
For this project, Clear-View fabricated the bollards specifically for the wastewater treatment plant.
The bollards were welded, finished and painted in-house before being installed at the facility.
The bright yellow finish was an important part of the design. In a busy industrial environment, visibility matters, and the goal was to make these protective posts stand out clearly from the surrounding equipment and concrete.
The completed installation provides a straightforward visual boundary around the vulnerable gates while allowing operators to continue using the area as intended.
The Client Was Happy with the Results
The completed project met the client’s needs, and the response from the facility was very positive.
In fact, Two Rivers Utilities plans to add similar bollards in other areas of the facility.
That’s a strong indication that the solution addressed the original problem while providing a practical way to improve protection around additional areas.
Bollard Installation for Infrastructure Protection
Bollards can serve many purposes beyond traditional parking lot applications. They can help define traffic patterns, improve safety and protect buildings, equipment and other infrastructure from accidental vehicle contact.
For industrial facilities, wastewater treatment plants, commercial properties and other locations where vehicles and heavy equipment operate near sensitive areas, the right bollard placement can provide an important layer of protection.
At Clear-View, Inc., we install bollards for a variety of commercial and industrial applications throughout the Charlotte, Gastonia, Belmont and surrounding areas.
Have an area of your property that needs additional protection? Contact Clear-View to discuss your bollard installation project and find a solution designed around your facility’s needs.