/ By Gateway Team / illegal gatherings • illegal raves • perimeter security/ 0 Comments

How to prevent illegal parties and events in warehouses and industrial buildings

gateway blog 82One growing threat, particularly over the summer months, for businesses across the UK is the resurgence of unlicensed musical events in unoccupied buildings. Known as ‘raves’ or ‘free parties’ these events take place throughout the country in buildings which are typically left empty, are fairly isolated and are easy to gain access to.

Organisers of the events are known to scout for suitable locations which are normally large buildings such as warehouses or industrial premises. These types of buildings usually have access to resources such as electricity, are large enough to hold big groups of people and are isolated enough so as not to draw too much attention. However, while holding these types of events away from the public may mean that there is less noise pollution, the consequences of these events for the owners and tenants of these buildings remain serious.

A recent example of this occurred in Swanley, Kent where 500 people entered an industrial unit in Marks Way, without the consent of the owner. While police were called to attend at around midnight and attendees fled the scene, the aftermath of the event caused over £30,000 worth of damage to what was a brand-new recently refurbished warehouse.

A rave at a warehouse in Croydon attracted over 3,000 young people to an empty unit at Beddington Industrial Estate which was due to be taken up by a new tenant just weeks after the event took place and caused thousands of pounds in damage.

Like many of these events, organisers asked those interested to register their details secretly online before releasing details of the location at the last minute. Typically, locations are sourced at the last minute as organisers scout around for buildings which are deemed to be isolated, with electricity and are easy to access.

In order for businesses and owners to protect their premises it is important that they make their properties as secure as possible and as unattractive to criminals as they can. This means turning off amenities like electricity and water when buildings are left empty but also making their buildings difficult to access by installing strong forms of perimeter security such as gates and barriers. If you already have these installed, then it is important to make sure that they are maintained to a high standard so that they are still effective in preventing trespass.

Gateway Automation provide a range of 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 / illegal gatherings • illegal raves • perimeter security/ 0 Comments

How to prevent illegal gatherings and parties on rural land

gateway blog 81Organisations such as the CLA have ramped up campaigning efforts in recent years to encourage farmers and other owners of empty buildings to keep their premises secure. This is due in part to a resurgence in illegal gatherings for unlicensed musical events – often known as ‘raves’ or ‘free parties’.

“Illegal raves cause a great deal of disruption to local communities, with the resulting mess causing harm to both wildlife and the environment. These illegal gatherings can also create unnecessary problems for landowners, who could fall victim to considerable clean-up costs and expensive repairs to outbuildings,” explained CLA President, Henry Robinson.

Illegal raves often occur on private land that is dormant or poorly protected, meaning that the organisers of these events can hold their events unnoticed by land owners. Bringing their own sound systems, the events will often go on until the early hours of the morning at which point revellers will often leave behind all manner of mess and damage costing land owners thousands of pounds to clear up and repair.

An illegal rave in 2017 which took place in the Cambridgeshire countryside between the villages of Arrington and Longstowe caused terrible damage to the land that the party-goers occupied. The farmer in charge of the land complained that rubbish and glass had been strewn all over the site – a serious problem as glass could potentially damage his machinery, injure livestock and become lodged in hay bales meant for sale. While policers officers were called to respond to the event, it took many hours for the event to be brought to a safe conclusion and for everyone to leave.

Another event near Darlington caused a farmer to complain that an event attracting up to 500 attendees caused him over £70,000 worth of damages after an all-night party resulted in broken glass, gas canisters and cans littered across his field as well as contamination of the corn in his barn which meant it could no longer be sold.

Police officers and the CLA have both recommended that the best way to tackle illegal raves and free parties is early intervention. This means informing officers of any intelligence that a rave may be taking place illegally sometime in the future, as officers can find it much more difficult to shut down a rave once it has started.

The best way to prevent illegal gatherings is to cut off access to both the organisers and attendees. As many of the people going to the events will travel by car, it is critical that owners of farmland find a way to limit access to their land to authorised vehicles only, wherever possible.

Gateway Automation provide a range of 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 / barriers • bi-folding gates • fly-tipping • gates • height restrictor barriers • perimeter security • risk assessment • sliding gates • swing gates/ 0 Comments

How a strong perimeter can prevent fly-tipping on your property

gateway blog 80Fly tipping is one of the biggest annoyances for land owners. Not only does it look unsightly, cause damage to property and local wildlife, it can also incur a heavy financial cost to owners of land who have to clear up the mess left behind. Here we will at look at some ways you can prevent your premises from becoming a target for fly tippers.

The first method of securing your property from fly-tippers is to perform a risk assessment. If trespassers can’t access your site, then they can’t occupy it or leave waste there. A risk assessment can help to highlight any vulnerabilities in your site such as areas which have no security, or areas where security can be easily bypassed, such as old or faulty gates and fences.

Waste has to be transported and for large amounts vehicles are needed to move it. You can prevent vehicles from gaining access to your site by having height restrictors installed. Height restrictive barriers are often chosen by councils, land owners and private companies as a way of preventing HGVs and Motorhomes from accessing their sites. Our GA5600 provides an ideal way to prevent unauthorised access, it is a durable and reliable restriction barrier and is available as a single, or double leaf.

Another method of prevent vehicular access is to use an Automatic Rising Kerb. Our GA8000 model utilises high quality hydraulic technology to provide ultimate security against unathorised traffic.

Gates are of course one of the staples of perimeter security and provide a strong physical and mental deterrent to would be fly-tippers. Here at Gateway we provide three key types of gates which include swing gates, sliding gates and bi-folding gates.

Finally, barriers can also play a key role in keeping out unwanted vehicles and pedestrians. They can be controlled either manually, or through other means like push-buttons, tokens, proximity cards and CCTV. Check out our barrier selection to learn more.

While some waste can be left behind by ‘fly-by-night’ criminals looking to offload or traders trying to get rid of business waste, serious damage can be caused by criminals looking to spender a longer period of time at your premises. This is why it is important to not only make your premises look highly-secured but also that if your premises are vacant that you make them as unhospitable as is possible. This means turning off access to electricity, water and other amenities so that your site offers very little to trespassers.

No matter the size or nature of your businesses or site, we can provide you with a free, no-obligation quotation and feasibility survey to assess your security requirements. For more information on any of the security options above, or for further advice on how to protect your business premises from criminals, please contact us or call us on 01522 682 255.

/ 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 / 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 / automatic barriers • barriers • bi-folding gates • bollards • car park security • gates • height restrictor barriers • manual barriers • perimeter security • sliding gates • swing gates • unauthorised parking/ 0 Comments

How to tackle the problem of unauthorised parking

clip_image002With an ever increasing number of vehicles on the road, the problem of parking, particularly in inner city areas, has begun to reach boiling point with thousands of land owners becoming increasingly frustrated by vehicles illegally parking on their land, obstructing their day to day activities.

However, this issue which is affecting businesses and landowners nationwide is not something that can be handled by the police, as it is a civil matter rather than a legal one. While in the past land owners were able to use clamping as a deterrent, this is no longer allowed, with The Protection Of Freedoms Act (2012) making it an offence to clamp a vehicle in England or Wales. So with this in mind, what alternatives are still available to businesses to tackle the issue of unauthorised parking on their property?

Barriers
One way to limit access to your site is to use barriers. Automatic barriers, height restrictor barriers and manual barriers all act as effective solutions for limiting access to vehicles or particular types of vehicles. They can be operated either manually – remaining up in business hours and locked down in the evening, or automatically – with access granted via CCTV, proximity cards, a key pad or tokens.

Gates
One of the most effective ways to limit access to a site is to install gates, a particularly effective choice if you are aiming to lock down a specific area such as a staff car park. Having unauthorised cars using up your employees’ parking spaces, or spaces reserved for clients and guests can be infuriating and cause real problems for your business, so gates, bollards and barriers are all good options. Read more about our swing gates, sliding gates and bi-folding gates.

Bollards
If you require a simple but effective solution for dealing with unauthorised access then bollards are a good option. Bollards are particularly effective if you are looking to prevent unwanted parking but also preserve the view of your business site. For example a car showroom might want to retain the views of their property for passing traffic so may opt for a bollard system rather than high fences which obstruct the view of the cars on their lot. Our GA7276H automatic bollards have been built for optimum performance and intensively tested to ensure reliability for over 3000 movements per day. In the event of an emergency or power failure they can be lowered manually and can also be operated simultaneously. Click here to read more about our GA7276H Automatic Bollards.

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 / 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 / automatic barriers • automatic gates • automatic rising kerbs • bi-folding gates • CCTV • data centre security • perimeter security • risk assessment • security • sliding gates • swing gates/ 0 Comments

Physical security for data centres

technology-1587673_640While data centre outages can often be the result of the growing threat of cyber crime, there are also an increasing number of incidents brought about by physical perimeter breaches.

While many companies will employ seasoned IT security specialists to protect them from cyber hacks and a serious online breach, their physical security is often an afterthought. However, protecting a data centre from physical threats is just as important as protecting those posed online and could have just as serious an impact. If your businesses houses their own data centre, or indeed if you are the chosen company to outsource another businesses data then an attack could have serious consequences for your business.

Every site will have its own specific needs and a risk assessment is certainly the place to start. This will help to develop a holistic approach that covers every aspect of your physical defence needs. While many businesses choose to utilise CCTV coverage as a means of protecting their premises it does not work as a means of preventing crime. Criminals attempting to target a data centre will know the consequences they face if caught and will make efforts to either destroy CCTV equipment or hide their faces so as not to be identified. This is why a 360 degree approach to site security should be adopted rather than relying on CCTV alone.

Some ways which you can prevent a criminal from ever gaining access include fully automatic barriers, gates and automatic rising kerbs.

Automatic barriers can be controlled by push-buttons, tokens, and proximity cards, or by manned guards on site thereby preventing unauthorised access. Heavy duty gates like swing gates, sliding gates or bi-folding gates prevent unwanted entry but also deter criminals who would otherwise try and escape in a getaway vehicle after breaking into your data centre. Automatic rising kerbs can also be used to cut off vehicular access, either to your entire site or just selected areas highlighted as under threat.

Gateway Automation provides a range of perimeter security systems to help businesses and individuals to secure their sites and also provides nationwide servicing and repairs to gates, barriers and other perimeter security equipment. To find out more, please contact us on 01522 68255 or download our brochure

/ By Gateway Team / perimeter security • sliding gates • swinging gates/ 0 Comments

Swinging or sliding gates?

SONY DSCRecent figures show that over half of all the small to medium sized businesses in the UK have been victims of crime at some stage. With this in mind, many businesses have begun to investigate how they can start to secure their premises and reduce their chances of being targeted.

While tools like CCTV are effective in recording a crime and can help to alert the police if monitored, they are not able to stop it from happening. This is why perimeter security is the place to start when reviewing your security.

One of the most effective forms of perimeter security are gates, whether swinging or sliding they ensure an effective barrier that slows down and prevents the entry, and the exit, of criminals into your premises.

However, when it comes to choosing between swinging and sliding gates what should you consider? Well for starters the choice between swinging or sliding gates often comes down to the specific layout of your premises. For example, if your entry point is limited by space then it might not be suited to a swinging gate as there isn’t enough room for the full arc, or if you are limited by the layout such as being on a hill then you might be better suited to a sliding gate.

It’s worth remembering that while gates are often the first step of securing your property they are rarely the only step. It is very important to have a professional company visit your site and do a full risk assessment to point out any holes in your security and guarantee a 360 approach.

Whether your business runs from small retail premises or a large industrial site, we can provide you with a free, no-obligation risk assessment, feasibility survey and quotation to assess your perimeter security requirements. For more information or for further advice on how to protect your business premises from criminals, please contact us here.

/ By Gateway Team / perimeter security/ 0 Comments

What can we learn about perimeter security from the Great Wall of China?

Blog 58Constructed during the days of the Ming dynasty sometime between 1368-1644, the Great Wall of China is one of the most amazing feats of engineering in human history. Stretching thousands of miles from Shanhaiguan to Jiayuguan the wall was built as an attempt to protect China from invaders and to preserve economic and agricultural prosperity. While Mongol hordes are no longer a threat to China, the Great Wall remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world with over 10 million visitors making the trip to see it every year.

So what can we learn from the Great Wall of China? Well first of all it’s important to remember that while the Great Wall is indeed an impressive structure, it wasn’t exactly fool proof. There were in fact quite a few occasions through history where the wall failed.

Mongol raiders climbed treacherous terrain in 1576 to gain entry and kill high ranking soldiers and in 1644 Wu Sangui the defender of one of the passes simply opened the gate to invaders in an act of treachery. What these examples show us are the importance of taking a holistic approach towards your perimeter security. It’s all well and good having a large fence but you also need to look at other areas of your business to ensure that you have every corner covered. It will take a seasoned criminal very little time to overcome the security measures of a business with a one-trick-pony approach to their security measures.

Having a 360 approach doesn’t necessarily have to cost the earth either, it’s just about picking the security solutions that will work best at your premises. A professional company will look at all aspects of your business and only recommend measures that will work. This means taking a full review of your layout, location and operations to understand threats. But it also means learning about the way your business works day-to-day. For instance, some businesses feel that while security is paramount it’s equally important to maintain a welcoming image and to ensure that employees and visitors feel at ease. A comprehensive risk assessment will aim to balance all of these factors and create a strong proposal for keeping your business protected from the growing dangers of crime.

Whether your business runs from small retail premises or a large industrial site, we can provide you with a free, no-obligation risk assessment, feasibility survey and quotation to assess your perimeter security requirements. For more information or for further advice on how to protect your business premises from criminals, please contact us here.