/ By Gateway Team / property • risk assessments • security • unoccupied buildings • vacant properties/ 0 Comments

What are some of the threats to unoccupied buildings?

Properties can become vacant for a number of reasons. Whether closed for refurbishment, awaiting a sale or closed for good there are a whole range of reasons why a property might be unoccupied for a long period of time.

However, it is absolutely critical that during the time that a building is left vacant that the owners take steps to secure their property.

High on the agenda of concerns for landlords of vacant properties is the risk of scrap metal theft. High export values for materials such as lead and copper have led to a sustained rise in the number of buildings pillaged by thieves, with 1,000 commercial properties every week targeted in the UK at the peak of activity. Criminals force their way into property and then proceed to strip it of all its valuable metals often causing thousands of pounds worth of damage along the way.

Another problem which is also causing headaches for landlords is that of squatting. This is when a vacant property is taken over by people determined to live in the building free of cost with the only route to remove them being to take them to court. Once evicted, landlords are often left with heavy renovation costs to pay for as well as expensive energy bills for water, gas and electricity that have been racked up during their stay.

The best strategy for dealing with these types of threats is to take preventative measures. The first step you should take upon knowing that your property is to be vacant for a period of time is to have a risk assessment carried out.  Here at Gateway we regularly assess properties for risk making sure that they are adequately secured and recommending any ways that we think security could be improved.

  • Every site is different but our recommendations might include: Installing lighting in areas where criminals and squatters could potentially gain access.
  • Turning off gas, electric and water supplies to the property as early as possible
  • Installing heavy duty gates or barriers which make access difficult both on foot or in a vehicle.
  • Applying anti-climb paint and clearing away bins, wheelbarrows or other items which could be used to gain leverage onto the property. 
  • Restricting access to the entire property or specific areas with access control equipment
  • Restricting vehicular access with automatic rising kerbs

The risks to empty buildings are numerous and should not be underestimated.  Beyond squatting and stealing scrap metal there is also the risk of trespass and there are numerous incidents of vandalism taking place in vacant properties, as well as the risk of having to pay compensation if someone is injured while trespassing in your building as you may have a duty of care over them while they are in your building.

If you believe that your property may become vacant in the future, or you own a property that has already been a target for thieves and vandals then please call us on 01522 682 255 to discuss how we can help to keep you safe. 

/ By Gateway Team / access control equipment • automatic rising kerbs • barriers • bollards • crash tested road blockers • flow control plates • gates • risk assessments • security • security posts • speed ramps • turnstiles/ 0 Comments

Why physical security is crucial in protecting your business from crime

While many businesses fall back on CCTV as a low maintenance form of security, as we explained in our recent blog it is anything but an all-in-one solution. CCTV has indeed proven to be weak in many areas and it is particularly worth remembering that a camera cannot physically prevent a crime from happening, only document it taking place. It simply records the event in the hope that police or private guards can be informed in time and a conviction can be secured later on.

Here at Gateway Automation we provide full risk assessments so that we can identify any vulnerabilities and then recommend the best tailored approach to protect your business. This often means a variety of different physical barriers designed to make your property unattractive to criminals and could include one or a combination of the following protections:

Creating a robust physical perimeter around your business site should be high on your agenda, but equally it is just as important to maintain your gates, fences and other types of security solutions, for if they are damaged over time due to intrusion attempts or even just accidentally damaged in your day to day activities then they could leave you vulnerable.

This is why we offer a nationwide reactive callout service with engineer response times of 8 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 7 days meaning that we can get to you quickly to repair any damage and keep your business safe and secure.

To find out more about our servicing and repairs options, please visit https://www.gatewayautomation.co.uk/servicing/ or contact us on 01522 682255 for a free, no-obligation quotation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter security needs.

/ By Gateway Team / control traffic • flow control plates • manage traffic • speed ramps/ 0 Comments

How to manage traffic with speed ramps and flow control plates

Whether you are looking to control traffic in a multi-storey car park, a bus lane, construction site or another type of premises, there are a number of different options available to you. Of course, employing traffic controllers to direct vehicles is one way to prevent unwanted access, but there are other methods which are considerably cheaper in the long run and more reliable.

Speed Ramps
Speed ramps are an excellent way of restricting the speed of traffic as it moves around your site. Together with signage to warn road users, speed ramps provide an effective way of calming traffic. Our GA5750 speed ramp is made from heavy duty recycled PVC segments and available with embedded cats-eyes and high visibility yellow and black sections, providing an important visual notice to on-coming traffic. The GA5750 offers differing speed restrictions with two separate heights available, and it is also available in different lengths.

Flow control plates
Here at Gateway Automation we provide three different styles of flow control plates:

Our sunken flow plates force mono-directional traffic, allowing traffic to pass over them in one direction but not in the other. They are made from steel but feature noise-reduction buffers which quieten the noise of the metal box moving back into position after a car has travelled over it.

Our surface mounted flow plates are made from heavy duty chequer plate steel which makes them very robust. They are surface mounted and ideal for concrete applications, such as multi-story car parks or economy projects.  They feature a sophisticated spring action system which ensures they return to position after a vehicle has passed overhead.  We also offer an even more robust version which is suitable for heavy goods vehicles, the GA5875HD.

Gateway Automation can provide free, no obligation quotes and feasibility surveys for your premises to assess your security requirements, contact us.

/ By Gateway Team / access control equipment • access control systems • biometric fingerprint scanners • biometric identification systems • fingerprinter readers • fingerprints/ 0 Comments

Why more businesses are using biometric fingerprint readers

Fingerprint recognition technology is one of the most reliable ways to control access to unauthorised areas. Once reserved for only the most high tech of businesses, biometric fingerprint readers are now widely accepted and being increasingly used in a broad range of fields.
How do biometric fingerprint readers work?
Fingerprint recognition is the most widely used form of biometric recognition, more popular than both iris and facial recognition techniques.  The first step in this type of recognition is fingerprint template formation, which is also known as minutiae extraction. This is when the sample fingerprint is provided to the scanner and the scanner creates an 8-bit scan of the person’s fingerprint. This scan is then converted into binary code using complex algorithms. When an employee or other authorised person wants to gain access to your building, or a specific part of it, they simply need to scan their finger and the biometric reader checks its storage for a matching approved scan in a process which takes only seconds.
Why are they so popular?
Biometric devices are becoming more and more popular every day as people discover different uses for it. We often see fingerprint scanners used in airports and by police forces, but they are becoming more and more common as a method of access control. While key fobs, cards and keys are useful in preventing unauthorized personnel from accessing your property, there are occasions when they fail, such as if someone loses their keys, or has them cloned. Biometric fingerprint scanners are much more reliable as everyone’s fingerprint is unique and it is much harder to create a copy.  Other examples of biometrics being used in less obvious places include at schools as a method of checking attendance, at gyms to only provide access to paying members and as a means of payment for services and goods.
If your business needs to control access to restricted areas or has another use for biometrics then Gateway Automation can assess your requirements and provide you with a free, no-obligation quotation and feasibility survey. Click here for more information about FR-240 Biometric Fingerprint Readers, click here to arrange a callback or click here to download our free brochure.