To protect against injuries and damage caused by powered industrial vehicle impacts, operations can install guardrails and barrier posts. These protective guarding devices safeguard personnel, equipment, products, and facility structures, significantly reducing costs and downtime associated with accidents. However, different manufacturers design and engineer the equipment to withstand a range of impact forces and speeds. That’s why the members of the Protective Guarding Manufacturers Association (ProGMA) developed a guardrail testing standard, American National Standards Institute ANSI MH31.2.
“Most manufacturers of bollards, industrial facility protection guardrail, and industrial pedestrian guardrail independently test their products,” explained ProGMA Chair Ken Parrott, Director of Business Development at Impact Recovery Systems. “However, the safety testing methodologies may not be the same. That lack of standardization made it challenging for companies looking to compare the different options.”
To help explain the guardrail testing standard and the impact test methodology it prescribes, ProGMA recently released a new video.
About the Guardrail Testing Standard
The video details the key takeaways from ANSI MHI31.2 – Test Method for Crash Testing Industrial Guardrail Barriers and Barrier Posts, updated in 2024. It outlines a comprehensive testing methodology for evaluating the performance of these steel and/or polymer protective devices. The standard specifically applies to guardrails and barriers used in industrial and warehouse environments to shield against motorized vehicle and forklift impacts.
The ANSI MHI31.2 guardrail testing standard enables purchasers to more easily assess the different products available, Parrott added. It also helps differentiate among guardrails and barriers designed for different applications. These include pedestrian walkways, critical equipment, rack structures, automated machinery, facility columns, corners, walls, electrical or ventilation equipment.
Video Explains Impact Testing Methodology
The video explains that testing should occur in an independent, accredited crash testing laboratory. “These facilities will have the necessary technology and expertise to conduct reliable, precise tests,” Parrott noted.
The lab should follow ANSI MHI31.2’s specific requirements. These include:
- Using a surrogate test vehicle that emulates a powered industrial truck. To simulate realistic impacts, the vehicle should feature a rounded nose positioned between 6 and 42 inches above the floor.
- Test vehicles should weigh 9,000, 12,000, 15,000, or 20,000 pounds.
- The test vehicles should impact the guardrail or barrier at speeds of 3.0, 5.0, or 7.0 miles per hour.
- Robust anchors connect the guardrail or barrier directly on ground-level concrete. The slab must consist of normal weight, unreinforced concrete that has a 28-day nominal compression strength of 3,000 pounds per square inch (PSI), but no more than 5,000 PSI.
- All testing should occur under dry conditions and on a flat surface with a maximum grade of 0.5%.
For two-post guardrails with a rail section spanning between them, two separate testing scenarios occur, continued Parrott.
“One impact targets the center of the rail. The other impact aims to strike one of the barrier posts,” he said. “For bollard testing, the impact aligns directly with the center of the post.”
Test Measurements Inform Impact Rating
The tests measure the resulting horizontal displacement of the barrier post-impact, Parrott noted. The testing lab measures both the impact velocity and impact angle of the test vehicle and documents the results with video and photos.
The lab determines the amount of dynamic deflection, or the movement of the barrier during the impact. Also documented is the amount of permanent deflection, or the remaining displacement of the barrier after the impact. If the barrier shows dynamic deflection greater than 24 inches, then the test vehicle intruded too far into the safety zone.
“Upon the conclusion of testing, the lab prepares a report that details damage incurred during the tests. Each product receives a rating based on its performance,” Parrott said. “The impact rating allows a potential buyer to understand what degree of protection the device will provide based on the vehicle’s speed at the time of impact. For example, an impact rating of I9-5 indicates a guardrail passed an impact test for a 9,000-pound vehicle at 5 miles per hour.”
Learn More About the Guardrail Testing Standard
Looking for more information about the testing methodology? Purchase the ANSI MHI31.2 – Test Method for Crash Testing Industrial Guardrail Barriers and Barrier Posts standard. Additionally, the members of ProGMA are available for guidance and recommendations.
