Perimeter Security
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8 Ways To Increase Your Perimeter Security

The dangers are clear. Financial losses, disruption to your supply chain, harm to consumer confidence, and low staff morale. These are just a few of the negative ways that crime can impact your business. Businesses of all sizes can be affected by a serious incident, regardless of their industry, or their location, which is why steps need to be taken well in advance to offer maximum protection. Perimeter security is the cornerstone of business security, and here we will outline some of the most effective tools on the market.

Access Equipment

Right at the cutting edge of perimeter security lies access control equipment. Utilising tools like cards, fobs, keypads, and even biometric technology like fingerprint readers, you can add real sophistication to your security protocol. Whether using access control to restrict access to specific areas, rooms, or bays, or to enhance existing features such as gates or barriers, this is one of the most tech-savvy ways to guard your business against crime.

Barriers

A simple to use, but super-effective solution, barriers are a great tool in your perimeter security arsenal. Made from aluminium or steel, barriers ensure that you have the final say over who gets access to your site. They can be either manual or automatic, and enhanced with access control, or monitored by your own personnel. Either way, unwanted visitors will know that they won’t find it easy to gain access to your premises.
Bollards

One of the most commonly used and cost-effective tools on the market for vehicular access management, bollards can play an important role in your perimeter security plan. While the idea of a bollard may typically draw to mind a concrete pillar, they have in fact come a long way in recent years and many have advanced designs that make them highly effective and suitable for a range of different purposes. They can deny entry to sites without the need for a gate or barrier, can be used to protect pedestrians or buildings from vehicles, and restrict access during specific hours, Some bollards like the robust Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) bollards are even used to protect sites from terrorist vehicle attacks.

Gates

Gates are, without a doubt, the most impactful form of perimeter protection, and often seen as the foundation of a good security strategy. They send out a clear signal to would-be intruders that their entry and their escape routes are going to be difficult to clear. So when criminals are marking out their next job, your business will be a less than attractive proposition. The types of gates that are typically available include bi-folding, swing, and sliding gates. There are also anti-terrorism gates emerging onto the market which prevent high-impact intrusions from heavy vehicles.

Height Restrictors

Often seen in car parks, height restrictors deal with a different type of crime. Rather than putting up the walls against theft and burglary, height restrictors help businesses to avoid the nuisance of unwanted vehicle access. If a business wants to cut off access to large vehicles, or heavy goods vehicles then this can be a clever fix.

Road Blockers

An uncompromising tool to stop traffic, road blockers can be used for a variety of reasons. One of course is to prevent vehicles from entering specific areas of your site. This might be to protect pedestrians, or buildings, or block off sensitive areas. Equally, road blockers can be used to prevent vehicles from making quick entry and escapes in the event of a burglary. Visually they are a strong deterrent and can be further enhanced with signage, sirens, and traffic lights, and controlled through access control equipment.

Speed Ramps

A reliant, and cost-effective tool, speed ramps are another strong method of controlling traffic. Used to manage speed, and calm traffic, they are a common sight in areas as varied as construction sites through to housing estates and hospitals. Our speed ramps are made from heavy-duty recycled PVC segments and configured with cats-eyes and high-visibility black and yellow sections to provide visual notice.

Turnstiles

Used to control the pedestrian entry and exit of both visitors and employees, there is no denying the impact that turnstiles can have on your perimeter security needs. Not just a way to slow down, and authorise traffic, they can also provide savings for businesses as they remove the need for costly security personnel, especially when fitted with access control tools. Every business has different needs and turnstiles are available to suit. There are waist-height forms available for corporate environments, as well as ¾ and full height versions for more functional settings.

Overhauling your perimeter security is not something that should be taken lightly. While protection is critical, you must seek advice from experts before making your purchase decisions. We can provide you with a free, no-obligation quotation and feasibility survey to remove the guesswork. For more information on any of the security options above, or for further advice on how to protect your business, please call us on 01522 682 255.

School Security
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4 Ways To Increase Your School Security

With the school holidays fast creeping up, it’s that time of year again where schools around the UK begin to consider their upgrades and renovations. With children out of the classrooms, this is the perfect time to take a handle on any repairs that might need to be taken care of. However, this is also a great opportunity for schools to review their security protocol and identify weak points in their strategy, creating an award-winning atmosphere that provides peace of mind to both staff and students. Let’s take a look at four concrete ways to improve school security this year.

Undertake a risk assessment

The first step for any organisation in developing a more secure environment is to figure out exactly where they are vulnerable and where they might be exposed. For instance, many businesses, and indeed schools, rely too heavily on CCTV cameras which can be easy to disable or avoid. They can identify a vehicle or a trespasser, but they do not prevent their entry, simply they monitor it.

A risk assessment will take a deep-dive analysis into the potential threats and then look at ways to mitigate that risk comprehensively. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach that often doesn’t quite cut it.

A risk assessment should be carried out by an experienced and qualified perimeter security company that understands the constraints, considerations, and overall nature of your business. The final result should be a set of suggestions that will protect your school from criminal activity and create a safe learning environment.

Guard against truancy with access control equipment

A common headache for schools lies with their safeguarding responsibilities, and how this can play into truancy. Ensuring students are safe within the walls of their school is pivotal, not only for the well-being of their students but also for the reputation of the establishment. One way that schools can guard against truancy and manage student traffic is through the use of access control equipment. Entry and exit points can be upgraded with tools like intercoms and readers to limit flow during school hours.

Manage parking problems with bollards

Schools up and down the country share a common problem when it comes to parking. Some parents ignore parking-free zones established by schools and pose a hazard to pedestrians. Bollards provide an effective solution in this scenario. Electric bollards can be raised when needed to limit access and lowered when
access is required for staff or contractors. Static bollards can be introduced in areas that require no vehicle access.

Use gates for 24hr safety

A strong security gate is one of the most formidable ways to deter crime. Gates have an important role to play during school hours, preventing both unwanted pedestrian and vehicular traffic. However, they are just as important in the evenings, and out of term time. Schools house expensive equipment and technology and are often not given the same level of security consideration as that of organisations in the private sector. Gates of proper build quality that are robust and maintained well will send out a message to opportunistic criminals that your school takes their security needs seriously.

With school budgets stretched, your school must get the best attention to detail. Here at Gateway Automation, we provide you with a free, no-obligation risk assessment, feasibility survey, and quotation process free of charge. This means you can be sure that you are spending your money only on areas where it can make the biggest impact.

For more information on any of the security options above, or for further advice on how to protect your business premises from criminals, please call us on 01522 682 255.