/ By Gateway Team / business security • crime/ 0 Comments

Businesses Beware: Crime rising in the UK

Businesses beware crime rising in the ukLatest figures released by the Office for National Statistics show an overall crime rise of almost 13% in England and Wales. This brings the total number of crimes recorded to the five million mark for the first time in 10 years.

The figures arrived just days after senior officers of the Metropolitan Police claimed that violent crime is soaring in the UK and is in danger of getting out of control due to “significant reductions in resources”.

In terms of crime against businesses, previous years reports highlight just how big the problem has been. The most recent survey in 2016 recorded over 5.2 million incidents of crime against businesses, particularly those in the wholesale and retail sectors.

The latest figures show the number of robberies against business properties to be around 6,599 incidents, non-domestic burglaries at 187,802 and incidents of shoplifting a staggering 377,172. The figures also include other offences which businesses can also fall victim too such as criminal damage and arson, of which there were 578,596 incidents between July 2016 and June 2017.

At Gateway Automation, we have vast experience helping businesses protect themselves against criminal elements and finding ways to curb burglary, theft, vandalism, and arson. We provide a range of products to help businesses secure their sites as well as nationwide Perimeter Security Servicing. To find out more about what we do, contact us today.

/ By Gateway Team / arson • arson attacks • business security • prevent arson • risk assessment • security/ 0 Comments

The devastating impact of arson on businesses

light-flick-allumer-zippo-80307Of all the crimes that can take place on business premises, arson has the potential to cause the most damage. The impact of a fire can result in serious – sometimes irreparable – damage to your business premises. The knock on effect of which can result in financial losses, lost stock, damaged infrastructure and even permanent closure for your business. But how do arson attacks happen and how can they be defended against?

The impact of arson

A fairly recent example of just how badly a business can be effected is the blaze at the Barnsley warehouse of popular online clothing retailer ASOS. One of the fastest growing online retailers in the UK in recent years, ASOS prides itself on quick delivery times. A fire which broke out at their Barnsley warehouse effected several floors of their building and took over 60 fire fighters to bring under control. The damage that the fire caused meant that the business had to put the brakes on online orders for several days, losing an untold amount of money whilst they made repairs and tried to get their operations back on track.

How it happens and how it can be stopped

Arson attacks most frequently occur during the night time. While it’s absolutely vital that businesses have sprinkler systems and fire alarms installed, that should not be where your fire prevention ends. Arson attacks can often be prevented by a combination of good housekeeping and strong perimeter security.

A good place to start is to look at some of the potential risks around your property, of which there may be many. Flammable liquids and other materials that could be easily set alight should be locked away, including bins where rubbish accumulates. Windows should be secured, potentially with shutters to prevent objects being thrown through them, while letterboxes should be fitted with airtight metal containers that will limit fire damage should any lit materials be passed through.

The key way that you can prevent acts of arson on your property is to prevent the arsonist from ever being able to gain access. This is achieved through strong perimeter security equipment that deters opportunistic criminals as well as making it hard for even the most determined ones to be able to get into your property.

Why risk assessments are crucial

Every business is unique which is why a good perimeter security company will begin by performing a risk assessment.

A risk assessment highlights any potential areas of weakness and means that the solutions offered – whether gates, barriers, access control equipment or something else – are the solutions which will make a significant impact on the security of your premises.

Gateway Automation provide a range products to help businesses and individuals to secure their sites and 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 / bi-folding gates • business security • perimeter security • security • security gate • sliding gates • swing gates/ 0 Comments

How secure are your security gates?

pexels-photo-277670As perimeter security specialists, we have years of experience looking for flaws in the physical security of businesses. One of the most revealing methods of pinpointing weak spots is to perform a full risk assessment. This allows us to develop a 360 degree approach for a business owner who might be concerned about the threat of crime on their business. However, while a good many business owners do recognise the overwhelming challenges that crime can present, a good many more do not take the threat seriously, or equally believe that they have already got everything covered.

One of the most effective forms of perimeter security comes in the form of gates – both a physical and mental barrier to opportunistic thieves. Here at Gateway we provide three major types of gates – swing gates, sliding gates and bi-folding gates which are commonly used to ramp up on-site security. Installed correctly and properly maintained, these types of gates are one of the strongest means of restricting both pedestrian and vehicular access to your site.

However, if gates are not properly maintained then they become ineffective in preventing intruders. This is why gates should be regularly inspected in order to spot any signs of degradation or damage. Damage can easily occur from vehicles, pedestrian traffic, acts of nature or just simply weaken over time, but it is important that it is spotted quickly in order to keep your business protected. While you may believe that you can fix a problem yourself, it’s important to have a trained professional visit your site and assess the situation as DIY repairs can often exacerbate the initial damage.

Here at Gateway we offer a nationwide reactive callout service with engineer response times of 8 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 7 days which means that any problems can be dealt with quickly. With years of experience our professionals will get to the bottom of the problem and ensure minimum disruption to your employees and customers. We also offer maintenance contracts on our products and can source supply spares and parts for all manufacturers’ equipment.

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 equipment.

/ By Gateway Team / business security • perimeter security/ 0 Comments

Keeping your business safe at night

clip_image002For many employees, once their shift is over their responsibilities at work end and they don’t think about it again until the following day. However, that luxury is something that owners of a business are not lucky enough to enjoy. Owners and managers of businesses spend many nights in constant worry over the potential threats that their company face from crimes such as arson, burglary and theft and vandalism. Here we will look at some of the ways you can protect your business from these threats while your building is vacant.

Arson

A serious fire has to be up there with the most damaging incidents that can happen to a business. Fires can cause damage to your buildings, furnishings and structure as well as stock, equipment and even your personnel. To protect against the risk of arson businesses should be sure to strengthen entrance and exit points such as windows and doors to restrict access to the property, as well as tough gates and high walls or fencing. Businesses should also develop a routine before closing down for the night whereby they check for any flammable materials or liquids lying around on site that could be used by arsonists to ignite a fire, such as by padlocking waste bins.

Burglary

Another serious threat to businesses in the night time is burglary. Businesses are naturally a massive target for criminals but with a comprehensive security strategy it is easy to mitigate the risks. Some common mistakes include poor lighting – allowing criminals to go undetected, failure to lock down important areas or assets, failing to prevent unwanted vehicles from arriving on your property, a lack of physical deterrents and securing a property with physical keys instead of electronic access control equipment.

Theft

While theft of assets can come from external criminals unknown to your business, crime can quite equally come from employees. While you can monitor the movements of your employees during the day, at night it may be more difficult. To avoid the risk of your employees stealing from you in the night, or handing your keys to a criminal to do so, you should limit access to valuable goods with cages or safes and consider biometric access control equipment to lock down high value areas.

Vandalism

Vandalism has a big impact on a business. Not only does petty vandalism affect the corporate image of your premises but it can also draw finances away from planned expansion or development within your business. The cost of replacing broken windows or removing graffiti is rarely budgeted for and will often leave a business out of pocket. A combination of deterrents such as anti-vandal grease, strong gates and fencing and motion censored lighting can help to deter opportunistic vandals determined to do damage to your business premises.

Gateway Automation provide a range products to help businesses and individuals to secure their sites and 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 / biometric fingerprint readers • biometric fingerprint scanners • biometrics • business security • fingerprint scanners • security • technology/ 0 Comments

Combating office based crime with biometrics

From driverless cars and artificial intelligence to biometric passports and contactless card payments– in today’s world technology has permeated almost every aspect of our lives.  The security industry, which tends to be at the forefront of new technology, is no exception. However, while many businesses are very keen to take their cyber security seriously, spending thousands of pounds on hi-tech software and employees dedicated to defending their online infrastructures, actual physical security of their premises sometimes takes a backseat.  This decision to favour online security over a physical approach often leaves the door open to a wide range of crime from theft and vandalism to criminal damage and even violent crime.

As a means of access, control biometrics are leading the way. Rather than using key fobs and cards, many businesses with security concerns are using biometrics as a solid method of preventing crime in their offices. Areas of importance can be locked down with fingerprint scanners and reduce the need to cut keys, cards, or fobs which can quite easily find themselves in someone else’s hands.

The benefits of installing biometrics in an office environment go past the prevention of crime too. Many businesses are using biometrics to cut down on administration in the workplace, for example by registering employees’ fingerprints so that they can ‘clock in’ and ‘clock out’ of work each day. This removes the need to manually type up employee timesheets and reduces the fear that they may have been ‘punched in’ by a colleague covering for their unapproved absence.

Biometric fingerprint readers work in such a way that it takes just a matter of seconds to confirm the identity of a person trying to gain access to your site.  So, rather than having a physical security guard checking ID badges and signing in visitors, you have a digital record of everyone who has entered your building each day.  A convenient, cheaper and much more secure record, as a scanner cannot be corrupted or tricked into allowing access to someone who could cause your company harm.

If you are interested in learning more about this growing industry trend then please contact Gateway Automation for 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.

/ By Gateway Team / audio intercom • business security • intercom • intercom security • intercom systems • security • video intercom/ 0 Comments

Why we recommend intercom systems to businesses

clip_image002Intercom security is one of our top recommendations for businesses with lots of visitors who are looking to secure their premises and limit entry to authorised persons only.

We hear cases every day of criminals gaining access to buildings unchallenged. If an unauthorised person takes advantage of your open door policy, or even just happens to go unnoticed by your front of house, then they could quite easily cause trouble.

Unwanted visitors could steal from your property, commit acts of vandalism or even intimidate and attack your employees or guests. Installing intercom systems gives you and your employee’s peace of mind that your building is secure, allowing you to go about your normal working day without the fear of intrusion.

Not only do intercom systems help to protect your property from opportunistic criminals and unwanted visitors but they also help you to communicate at long distances. This means that you can grant access and open doors or gates without having to travel all the way there to physically do it. This can even help you to save money by removing the need for a front of house reception.

Intercom systems have another valuable benefit in that they cut down on the number of keys that need to be distributed to employees. When an employee misplaces a pair of keys, or leaves your business without returning them, you are left with the costly inconvenience of changing locks and having new keys cut.

With intercom systems employees can gain access either by speaking through an audio intercom and you recognising their voice, or through video for visual verification.

Click here for more information on our range of intercom systems and start taking steps to improve your business security today. Gateway Automation can provide free, no obligation quotes and feasibility surveys for your premises to assess your security requirements, contact us here.