/ By Gateway Team / perimeter security • security • utilities • water • water security/ 0 Comments

Protecting the UK’s critical water infrastructure

protecting the uk's critical water infastructureThe preservation of the UK’s water, waste treatment and collection systems are essential to the smooth running of the country and the economy. However, in light of increasing terrorist attacks in recent years around the world, securing these sites is now more important than ever.

Terrorists aim to cause maximum disruption and fear with an attack, which makes attacking the UK’s infrastructure a prize target. Water is a fundamental resource and without an abundance of safe water to access we face serious risks to human welfare, as well as disruption to businesses, hospitals, schools and other critical elements of the UK’s infrastructure.

Across the many water sources in the UK including wells, lakes, streams, reservoirs and rivers, and waste treatment works there needs to be strict security protocols as well as guidelines and crisis strategies to follow to ensure that the UK’s water supply is protected from terrorist threats and that the infrastructure can be sustained if an attack compromises it.

If terrorists are able to successfully infiltrate UK water sites then the potential risk is that they contaminate those water sources with toxic chemicals such as heavy metals, insecticides, industrial chemicals, toxins, biological agents or war agents. Any contamination could then pass through major pipelines and make its way to the public causing mass casualties.

While attacks on water infrastructure are less common than other forms of terrorist attacks, there have been at least 15 incidents since 2002. These include a 2008 attack in Virginia where a man was arrested trying to poison the water supply system with cyanide and a 2010 incident in Durham, England when two men were convicted of trying to poison water sources with ricin. Indeed, documents sized during the operation to assassinate Osama Bin Laden revealed plans for poisoning water resources, further proving that it is important to stay vigilant.

The first place to start when it comes to defending the UK’s water infrastructure is perimeter security. When organisations install strong perimeter security it will prevent unauthorised groups or individuals from ever gaining access to their site in the first place, stopping them from carrying out an attack.

Throughout the country there are many public water sources that are easily accessible, as well as private sites. Every site has its own unique features, so a comprehensive 360-degree approach should be employed that includes a combination of solutions like heavy-duty gates, bollards, barriers, rising kerbs, fencing, CCTV, thermal imaging and manned guarding.

Strong perimeter security can act as a deterrent to terrorists seeking to gain entry to a site, while interior protections can be used to limit access to individuals who have been granted access, so that they are only able to visit the places you are sure they need to go. For pedestrians, access can be limited through tools such as keypads, biometrics and fobs, while traffic can be controlled through automatic barriers, bollards and rising kerbs that ensure traffic can only go in the specified directions.

It can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to deciding which security strategies are going to be most effective at a site, which is why it is important to begin with a risk assessment. Here at Gateway Automation we can provide you with a free, no-obligation quotation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter security requirements. To find out more please contact Gateway Automation on 01522 682255. Alternatively, our brochure can be downloaded here: http://www.gatewayautomation.co.uk/brochure/.

/ By Gateway Team / access control equipment • art gallery • galleries • gallery security • museum security • museums • security • theft/ 0 Comments

Protecting museums and galleries with access control equipment

protecting museums and galleries with access control equipmentIn 1994, the world-famous Munch painting ‘The Scream’ was stolen by thieves in Oslo, Norway. Two men took less than a minute to climb a ladder, smash through the window of the National Art Museum and remove the painting from the wall with wire cutters. The entire incident was caught on CCTV; however, cameras alone were never going to be enough to protect such a valuable piece of art. Such was the oversight in their security provisions that the thieves actually left a thank you note to the museum for their “poor security”.

Art gallery thefts are not uncommon, and another high-profile theft happened in 2008, when pieces by Cezanne, Degas, Monet and Van Gogh were stolen in less than 5 minutes from a gallery in Zurich. Famous pieces of art command high prices on the black market and because of this very few are ever successfully recovered, which makes it all the more important to have proper security controls in place.

They key way to ensure that a museum or art gallery is protected is to create a complex, multi-layered security system that plans for the worst eventualities, and access control equipment can play an important role. Where CCTV may simply document a crime taking place, access control equipment can actually help prevent and deter crime.

The conundrum for many gallery and museum owners is how to balance making exhibits easily accessible and appealing while still maintaining high-levels of protection. While art galleries and museums are public places and should not look like prisons, it is important that security fundamentals are not overlooked. Compromises can be found and sometimes security measures actually enhance the experience of the visitor. Barriers and turnstiles should be installed at entry and exit points around the building which can help to manage human traffic and allow security personnel to successfully monitor and check who is accessing the building. This not only helps to cut down on incidents but also reassures the public that their security is taken seriously.

What’s more, a multi-tiered privilege system must be in place which ensures that only the people who need access to certain areas of the building are given it. Museums and galleries are at high risk of so-called ‘inside jobs’ and so these types of measures are an absolute must. High risk areas where paintings, artwork and antiques are kept in storage should always be secured with access control such as biometric fingerprint readers, keypad or fob systems.

Together with other solutions like manned guarding, plainclothes supervisors, alarmed windows, motion detection, environmental sensors, glazing and vibration sensors, access control equipment can form a comprehensive security plan as detailed as the pieces of art hanging on the walls.

Gateway Automation provides a range of products including access control equipment to help businesses and individuals secure their sites against crime. We also provide nationwide servicing and repairs to gates, barriers and other perimeter security equipment. To find out more please call us on 01522 682255.

/ By Gateway Team / bollards • school • school parking/ 0 Comments

How bollards can help prevent school parking problems

How bollards can help prevent school parking problemsAcross the UK, nurseries, infant schools, junior, primary and secondary schools all share one thing in common – parking problems. Parents seeking to save time on the school run by parking as closely to school entry points as possible are causing headaches for schools and local residents alike, leading to repeated calls for parents to fall in line, which seemingly fall on deaf ears.

None more so is the problem highlighted in that of busy, growing, successful schools where the number of drop-off and pick-ups increase year on year. The growing traffic to the schools means that parents are in even more of a rush to drop off their kids and do it in as little time as possible. This leads them to park in unathorised areas such as on verges and pathways and in areas that cause road blockages, obstruct traffic and block footpaths for pedestrians.

Despite the best efforts of many schools, launching safety campaigns, contacting parents by email, phone and by post as well as verbally warning repeat offenders – they have had no luck in easing the problem. Many even find that despite having double yellow lines painted and sign posts placed to warn drivers, the problem persists.

So, what can schools do to get tough on illegal parking? One key way that schools can clamp down on this problem is to consider installing bollards. Bollards such as the GA7276H operate with an electrohydraulic mechanism which means they can be raised and lowered according to need. So, if there times when, say trade vehicles, require parking by the school then you can allow them access. During times that no access is needed the bollards can be raised to prevent unauthorized parking and send a strong message to parents.

If your school is experiencing these types of problems, then please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss your options. We offer a value for money service with well-engineered quality bollards manufactured to your specific requirements. For total peace of mind, we offer nationwide maintenance contracts on our own bollards and on existing perimeter security equipment made by other manufacturers. To find out more please call us on 01522 682 255 or click here to request a quote

/ By Gateway Team / anti-terrorism bollards • bollards/ 0 Comments

Bollards – a vital tool to protect the public from vehicular assaults

Bollards - a vital tool to protect the public from vehicular assaultsUnimposing and commonplace in public areas, bollards are often ignored or only subconsciously acknowledged by the public as they go about their business. However, they play a critical role in their safety and increasingly are being turned to by councils and organisations as a security tool.

While bollards have always played a crucial role in defending pedestrians from road traffic accidents and diverting traffic away from areas where there are lots of people on foot, today we see their role being adapted for a new purpose – defending against terrorist attacks.

Over the past few years, terrible attacks against pedestrians have been witnessed in some of the world’s biggest and most populous cities including Barcelona, Charlottesville, Berlin, London, New York, Nice, Stockholm, and the West Bank. The attacks have seen vehicles being used as weapons and driven into large groups of people causing mass casualties and deaths.

This new form of terrorist attack presents challenges to the security services as they are often unexpected, and can be undertaken without too much advanced planning and preparation. In some cases, the drivers have then gone on to exit vehicles and begin a melee attack on innocent pedestrians who are left standing after the attack, and this continues until emergency services are able to make it to the scene and apprehend the attackers.

To prevent these kinds of attacks, many city planners and organisations are turning to security tools such as bollards to deter vehicular assaults and stop terrorists in their tracks. Iconic landmarks such as London Bridge and York Minster are being fitted with anti-terrorist bollards to provide protection against impact collisions from vehicles, thereby protecting flocks of tourists who visit these landmarks every day.

Here at Gateway Automation, we provide a range of equipment that can be used down to halt vehicular attacks including Crash Tested Road Blockers and purpose built Anti-Terrorism Bollards like the XPass B 330/1200, XPass B 275/800, and Ranch D 275/800. To find out more, please call us on 01522 682 255 or request a quote