On site
What is an exclusion zone?
An exclusion zone is an area kept clear of people during an operation, physically marked and controlled. It is the primary control for lifting, demolition and overhead work.
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<figure>
<img src="https://buildoptix.co.uk/glossary/exclusion-zone/diagram.svg" alt="exclusion zone — diagram from BuildOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>
<a href="https://buildoptix.co.uk/glossary/exclusion-zone">What is an exclusion zone?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://buildoptix.co.uk">BuildOptix</a>
</figcaption>
</figure>It works only if it is physical. Tape marks an intention; a barrier, a banksman and a defined entry control are what actually keep people out when a route is inconvenient.
Its size has to be derived from the operation rather than from the space available, and where the space is not available the operation needs rethinking rather than the zone shrinking.
It needs to account for people who do not work on site — deliveries, visitors, the public and occupants of adjacent buildings — who will not know what the tape means.
What goes wrong in practice
- Tape used where a physical barrier is needed.
- Zone sized to the available space rather than to the operation.
- Pedestrian and delivery routes running through it with no alternative provided.