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Zebra Crossings to Create Safe Walkways in a Live Warehouse Yard
Zebra Crossings to Create Safe Walkways in a Live Warehouse Yard
When production can’t stop, you still need safe, clearly segregated routes. On this project we installed high-visibility zebra crossings and pedestrian walkways across a concrete yard using fast-cure acrylic spray—completed in small, well-planned phases so the site stayed open and vehicles kept moving.
If you’re responsible for warehouse safety and operational uptime, this blog shows how to deliver clear people-vs-traffic separation with minimal disruption—and why acrylic systems on concrete are the right tool for speed, brightness and durability.
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Project Snapshot & Outcome
Location: UK warehouse yard (concrete deck). Scope: Zebra crossings, pedestrian walkways, holding lines at doors/roller shutters, and give-way bars at vehicle routes. Materials: Industrial acrylic line marking paint (spray-applied) designed for concrete substrates.
The result is a set of bright, high-contrast crossings and walkways that make pedestrian priority unmistakable—cutting near-misses and improving traffic discipline, without shutting down day operations.
The Health & Safety Manager’s perspective:
Your job is to keep people safe while hitting throughput targets. Stopping production to paint lines isn’t realistic, and dull, faded markings aren’t good enough. By choosing a fast-cure acrylic and a phased programme, you protect your people, keep loading running, and show leadership on safety—without sacrificing output.
On this site, we sequenced work into short, controllable segments, reopening each area minutes after application. You stayed operational. Your team gained safer walk paths. Win-win.
Challenges & Solutions
1) No daytime shutdown
The warehouse needed to stay open with vehicles, pedestrians and loading still active.
Solution: We created a phased plan of short work zones with cones and marshals, completing small segments at a time. Each segment reopened quickly thanks to the acrylic’s rapid surface cure.
Guidance: HSE: Workplace transport safety
2) People–vehicle separation
Busy doorways and crossing points needed unmistakable priority and sightlines.
Solution: High-contrast zebra crossings and bold holding lines at doors; walkway approaches widened where practical. Arrows and give-way bars reinforce predictable routes and behaviours.
Best practice: HSG136: Workplace transport safety (PDF)
3) Concrete substrate & fast return to service
The yard is concrete with occasional dusting and light contamination; lines needed to cure fast to reopen traffic.
Solution: Targeted mechanical abrasion and degreasing where required, then industrial acrylic spray specified for concrete. The system delivers bright colour, crisp edges with masking, and rapid handling times.
Related reading: Surface preparation: grinding & shot-blasting
4) Keeping flows moving safely
Temporary diversions had to be intuitive to avoid congestion at bays and doors.
Solution: Clear, short diversion routes using cones/signs; we coordinated with the shift lead so works aligned to quieter windows (breaks, changeovers), minimising queueing and delays.
Further info: HSE: Traffic management
Technical Specification (What We Used & Why)
Acrylic Line Marking Paint (spray-applied on concrete): Fast-dry, high-opacity acrylic formulated for mineral substrates. Excellent for high-visibility zebra bands and walkway lines where rapid return to service and crisp edges are essential.
- Application: masked zebra bands and edges; airless/air-assist spray for uniform film build.
- Substrate prep: dust removal, degreasing of traffic lanes, light mechanical abrasion where needed to key smooth concrete.
- Benefits: rapid cure, bright colour, clean edges, efficient phased working in live environments.
Optional Anti-Slip Additives (where specified): Fine aggregate broadcast into wet coat to improve wet-grip in braking zones and doorway thresholds.
- Use cases: slopes, ramps, door aprons, high-footfall crossings.
- Note: Aggregate size chosen to balance texture with cleanability.
Related services: Walkways & Pedestrian Routes · Warehouse Line Marking · How to deal with paint spills.
Our Live-Site Process
- Survey & plan: Map pedestrian desire-lines, vehicle routes, doors and blind spots; agree zebra positions and walkway widths.
- Phasing & comms: Split the yard into short segments; brief shift leads; schedule around breaks/changeovers.
- Prep: Cone and sign each segment; clean/abrade and degrease concrete; mask zebra bands and edges.
- Apply: Spray acrylic coats to coverage; add anti-slip where specified; remove masking at tack-set for sharp lines.
- Reopen: Lift cones once surface cure is achieved; move to next segment.
- Sign-off & aftercare: Walk-through with client; maintenance advice; optional refresh schedule.
Benefits You Keep Long-Term
Clear zebra crossings and walkways reduce near-misses, improve driver behaviour and speed up safe movements at doors and loading points. Fast-cure acrylic minimises downtime today and keeps colours bright longer—so you protect people and productivity.
Net result: a safer yard, fewer interruptions, and a visibly well-managed site.
Next Steps
Need zebra crossings or pedestrian walkways without pausing production? We’ll survey, specify and deliver a phased programme that keeps your yard moving.
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Useful external resources: HSE: Workplace transport safety · HSG136: Workplace transport safety (PDF).
Related projects: EV Parking Bays in Central London · Residential Parking Bays.
