Panic Breakaway Retractable Belt Barriers: Safer and Smarter Crowd Control

Retractable belt barriers are a trusted solution for managing waiting lines and controlling foot traffic in many environments, including retail stores, airports, event venues, and warehouses. While traditional belt barriers are effective, consideration must be given to how customers exit the queue quickly and safely in the event of an emergency. This is particularly true for large queue systems which may hold dozens or even hundreds of pedestrians within the queue corral.

Establishing Emergency Breaks

To ensure fast, safe egress from the queue in an emergency the queue system should be designed with regular “breaks” or emergency exits so customers do not have to navigate the entire length of the line to exit. These breaks need to guide and control the pedestrian flow under normal circumstances but must allow fast, easy egress in an emergency.

With the help of our partner, Queue Solutions, we are proud to introduce our new Breakaway Belt Barriers. These barriers are designed to easily create emergency exits within your queue, helping to enhance everyday use as well as safety in emergency situations.

What Are Breakaway Belt Barriers?

Breakaway belt barriers are retractable belt stanchions that feature a specially designed belt end and matching receivers to create a simple yet effective belt release system. Magnets securely hold the belt in place during normal use, creating a dependable barrier for guiding people and managing access. When excessive force is applied, such as someone tripping, walking into, or colliding with the belt, the magnetic connection releases automatically.

This breakaway action lets customers exit the queue by simply walking through the belt without having to stop and manually detach the belt end allowing for the fast evacuation of the queue.

Fast, Safe Emergency Exit

Some facilities may opt to have all barriers forming the queue to be Breakaways and this may be mandated by the Fire Marshall in some jurisdictions. However, this is not necessary to facilitate fast, safe queue evacuation. Instead, a single set of these upgraded stanchions can be paired with our custom printed belts to clearly direct customers to the breakaway belt exit. This approach provides the added safety of a designated emergency exit without having to replace all the existing barriers.

Easy Conversion of Existing Barriers

Existing belt barriers can be quickly converted to Breakaways by switching out the belt cassette with our Breakaway model. These cassettes are compatible with most brands of stanchion and only require a screwdriver and a few minutes to install. The fast, easy installation and low cost of Breakaway belt cassettes make adding Panicbreaks to an existing queue system very affordable.

Fast and Easy Setup with Magnetic Belt Ends

Additionally, these Panic Breakaway belt ends make setup and reconfiguration quick and simple. The magnetic connection naturally guides the belt into position, eliminating the need for precise alignment or manual clipping. This allows staff to adjust queue layouts efficiently, even in fast-paced or high-traffic environments.

When changes are needed, belts can be removed and reconnected in seconds, saving time, reducing labor, and minimizing disruption to daily operations.

Compatible Across a Full Range of Stanchions

What makes these belt barriers special is the ability to upgrade our current line and outfit any stanchion in our product range with these belts. This makes the panic breakaway system available across our entire line of belt barriers. Additionally, these belts are compatible with many competitor units as well, helping ensure consistent safety and performance throughout your facility.

• Standard single belt stanchions
• Twin belt stanchions for to avoid belt ducking
• Triple belt stanchions for maximum effectiveness and ADA Compliance
• Safety belt stanchions designed for industrial and warehouse use

This flexibility allows organizations to select the appropriate stanchion style for each application without sacrificing safety features.

Ideal for Many Applications

These Breakaway belt barriers are suitable for all queueing locations such as retail stores, airports, event venues, offices, healthcare facilities, and other areas where controlled foot traffic is important. They provide a clean, professional appearance while offering improved safety for users. But queue systems are not the only application for Breakaway barriers. In safety applications stanchions are used to restrict access to off limits areas but in an emergency, fast evacuation could be impeded by a standard barrier. Breakaways have the same effect on safety barriers as they do in queue systems providing fast, safe emergency exits.

A Smarter Crowd Control Solution

Breakaway belt barriers offer a thoughtful upgrade to traditional retractable belt systems. By allowing fast, safe exit from the queue they reduce the risk of panic and injury in an emergency. Easy to retro fit and compatible with most brands of stanchion Breakaway barriers are an important step in improving any public facility.

To learn more about these Breakaway belt barriers and explore the full range of retractable belt barrier options, including twin, triple, and safety belt stanchions, visit our belt barrier catalog on Crowd Control Company.