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Gates are one of the most traditional and popular forms of perimeter security and remain one of the most effective. Here is a quick guide to choosing the perfect swing gate that will suit your business needs.

Swing gate vs sliding gate
There are many reasons why choosing a swing gate may be the perfect option for you compared to a sliding gate. Swing gates are quieter which makes them perfect for sites that need to open and close the gates at unsociable hours. They also open and close in a very discrete and smooth manner, making them a simple yet effective option. You also can change which direction it needs to open depending on your requirements. As long as you have sufficient space for the gates to fully open and “arc”, swing gates are a great looking option.

Automatic swing gate vs manual swing gate
Once you have decided on a swing gate you need to decide whether you would like it to open automatically or manually. Again, this will depend on both your needs and your budget. Automatic gates can come with sensors and remote controls which provide greater control over your security. They also provide convenience as someone doesn’t have to manually open them each time.  Our GA9600 Automatic Swing Gate is fully assembled and ready to bolt down on site, meaning there is minimum disruption caused for your business whilst they are being installed.

Manual swing gates are the ideal choice for many sites where a fully automated barrier is neither cost effective or necessary. Sometimes you only need a gate to act as a physical barrier and deterrent without the need for it to open itself. Our GA5700 manual gate is robustly made from steel, and great for unmanned areas with low volumes of traffic. It also come with an additional latch post and padlock for additional security. Whilst other security measures such as CCTV are a great way of monitoring activity and spotting anything happening, it is perimeter security which is needed to actively stop people from entering. Although gates should not be your only form of security, they should be one of your first considerations when making your premises secure.

Whichever option you choose will be effective, strong, reliable and long-lasting. When choosing, decide on which type of gate will look the best and is within your budget. If you do ever experience any issues, we are always on hand to help. We offer a nationwide reactive callout service and we have local engineers based across the UK and Ireland.

To find out more about our swing gates, please contact us on 01522 682255 for a free, no-obligation quotation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter security equipment.

Bollards can help a wide variety of organisations to improve their safety. Whether its for a shopping centre, hospital, school or stadium, bollards are good additional security. Below are just some of the advantages to having bollards on site.

Calms traffic and aids navigation
Large public areas such as shopping centres, hospitals and stadiums also have large car parks. Having bollards in place here will help reduce the speed of cars whilst driving. This is important as they are many other cars and pedestrians in the area meaning careless driving can result in accidents. Having bollards near pedestrian walkways and entrances, indicate both where the pedestrians need to walk but also ensures cars slow down for them.

Prevents overparking
Having bollards can denote where people should park which will prevent overparking and people parking in restricted areas or anywhere they will block access to others.

Prevents crime and terrorism
Unfortunately, anti-terrorism and crime measures are needed more than ever and there are a range of crash tested, automatic bollards available for this. Crowded areas like stadiums and shopping centres or high-profile buildings can become a target due to the potential damage that can be caused, therefore bollards that can withstand ram raiding attacks are sometimes necessary to provide that extra security for everyone.  Not only do they act as a deterrent, but if something did happen, they make it difficult for criminals to getaway.

Protects large glass doors
Many hospitals, universities and shopping centres feature large glass doors or windows which provide a vulnerable point of access. Bollards placed outside of these areas can stop any vehicles crashing through the glass, whether intentionally or not.

Promotes greater sense of security
Having bollards installed can make people feel more secure. Whether this be customers, patients or employees, it is always good to know that security measures have been considered and they know they are safe within the building.

Automatic bollards
We offer a range of automatic bollards which provide a lot of additional benefits to standard bollards. Being able to have them move up or down with an electrohydraulic mechanism means you can use them to deter unlawful entry and to restrict zones at certain times of the day (for example, in car parks when you do not want any new people entering). Automatic bollards also allow you to have control over who enters. You can lower the bollards to authorised cars only and return the bollard afterwards.

These are just some of the benefits of having bollards installed, however they prove how important and beneficial they can be to many businesses and should be considered when deciding on security messages.

Gateway Automation can help businesses and organisations to protect their assets from serious crime with minimum disruption and while maintaining safe and comfortable working environments for clients, contractors, customers and other highly important individuals. For a free non-obligation and feasibility survey please contact Gateway Automation on 01522 682255. Alternatively, our brochure can be downloaded here: http://www.gatewayautomation.co.uk/brochure/.

People love going to hotels. The sense of getting away from day to day lives and experience a new place without the worry of having cook or clean is an appealing concept. However, it’s vital that guests feel safe in doing so. Having access control and perimeter security measures are amazing ways of doing this and when done correctly will help improve the overall hotel experience. Here are just a few of the ways they do this:

1.    It makes the guests feel safe and secure
If customers know that the hotel has security, they can have peace of mind and feel more comfortable. They need to know that their belongings will be safe (including their car) and that only authorised people will be able to access the building. If this happens successfully, they will be relaxed and enjoy the hotel more.

2.    Will promote return stays
If their first experience of the hotel is good, they are more likely to return if they know when they arrive at the hotel that they don’t have to worry about anything.

3.    Will recommend to family and friends
If someone has a pleasant stay, they will want to recommend to friends and family but also on review websites which are vital for the hotel industry.

4.    Creates exclusivity
Having control access can have a phycological effect on the guests. Being a select few who can enter the building will automatically make them feel that bit more privileged. It creates a sense of privacy as well which some guests crave.

5.    Will improve the hotel’s reputation
Being known as a safe hotel is a reputation that is almost priceless and can only be seen as a good thing to potential guests.

6.    Makes the employees feel safer
It’s not just the guests that benefit from the additional security. The employees themselves will feel safer coming to work knowing that its secure. This, in turn, has been known to improve employee morale and productivity.

How can this be achieved with Gateway Automation?

Gates
–    These are perfect for hotel car parks, which will mean only guests will be able to access it.
–    The gates we provide are among the strongest barriers to unauthorised entry and a strong physical deterrent
–    Automatic barriers can achieve the same effect, however ultimately it depends on which option will work best for your hotel and look the nicest.
–    We provide fully automatic barriers which can be controlled by push buttons, tokens, proximity cards, pins, CCTV or by on-site security guards, so we can tailor it to your needs and requirements.

Speed Ramps
It is important that the car park is a smooth process and not hectic. Speeding and reckless behaviour can be reduced by using speed ramps. When utilised correctly, they act as a deterrent for unwanted vehicle access as well.

Turnstiles
–    Full height turnstiles could be used if there is a pedestrian entrance to the hotel which you need controlling, especially if there is no manned security available constantly.
–    Waist height turnstiles can be used indoors if the hotel has a gym or certain facilities that have restricted access.

Intercoms
–    With options to have video Intercom or just audio, these are great devices to have located at hotels at the entrance, ensuring you know who is coming in and out of the premises.

Proximity Devices
–    Proximity cards and Proximity Access Keypads again can both be effectively used at hotels to restrict access in certain areas and can be used in conjunction with both turnstiles and gates.

Gateway Automation can help hotels protect their assets from serious crime with minimum disruption while maintaining safe and comfortable working environments for clients, contractors, customers and other highly important individuals. For a free non-obligation quotation and feasibility survey please contact Gateway Automation on 01522 682255. Alternatively, our brochure can be downloaded here: http://www.gatwayautomation.co.uk/brochure/

A great way to improve the security of your business is by using turnstiles. These are available in a range of options to suit your needs. Turnstiles not only allow control over access to a building, but they also improve security and will act as a deterrent. They can be easily adapted to suit your business needs as well. They are able to include a range of credential verifiers including fingerprint recognition and proximity device readers which allow you to be in full control of who enters your premises.

Turnstiles are much more efficient and effective compared to using doors, even if they are secure. The main reason is because of the risk of “tailgating”. With a secure door, even though users will need to be authorised to open the door, once it is open there is no way of controlling how long the door consequently stays open for or how many people are let through. Obviously, the use of CCTV will help monitor this, however it cannot stop it from happening in the first place. Using turnstiles means only one authorised person can enter at a time, eliminating the possibility of tailgating occurring. With doors, there is also no way of controlling the direction. Even if a door is deemed an exit, once the door is open, there is limited control over how many people use it as an entrance point instead and vice versa.

Who uses turnstiles?
Turnstiles are commonly used at (but not limited to):

–    Schools, colleges and universities
–    Gyms
–    Football grounds and sports stadiums
–    Train stations
–    Theme parks
–    Manufacturing facilities
–    Military bases
–    Apartment buildings
–    Hotels

What types are there? 

Waist Height
These turnstiles usually consist of a barrier with three arms, installed at waist height which allows access to one person at a time and rotates round.

Mainly used for: Indoor locations including arenas and universities but also train stations and theme parks. They allow for smooth entry which can help with large crowd control. The only disadvantages to consider are the higher risk of people trying to jump over the turnstile and also the need to have an additional gate installed next to it to allow access for disabled users. Both of these however are easily combatted by still having manned security available.

Full Height
Full height turnstiles go from the floor to the top of the turnstile and act similar to a revolving door, allowing only one person at a time.

Mainly used for: Outdoor use where higher security is necessary, especially if there is no manned security available.

They are the best option for perimeter control; however, you will have to ensure that all the rest of the perimeter is secure with additional fencing. Full height barriers are bulky so you need to think if your location is suitable. You will also still need an additional entry point for disabled access.

What to consider before choosing

All of the following factors will change which type of turnstile is best for you

–    Location – is the area you need securing outdoors or indoors?
–    What are you using it for?
–    Will there be manned security as well?
–    What is your budget?
–    What features are necessary?
–    Aesthetics features – will they fit in and still look nice?

Advantages to having them 

–    Some turnstiles have the ability to monitor forced entry attempts
–    Reduces the need for manned security. If you also have manned security, their time will be better spent overseeing and dealing with any problems, rather than individually checking everyone’s credentials.
–    They will last. Even with consistent use, they will continue to perform over long periods of time.
–    Limited need for maintenance – because the majority are produced from stainless steel, the quality of the turnstiles means the need for maintenance is unlikely
–    Reassures both the business owners that only authorised personnel are able to enter, but also reassures all employees that they are working in a safe environment
–    Turnstiles act as a deterrent.  Just knowing a place has the extra security turnstiles bring can stop potential unauthorised personnel even attempting to enter
–    Makes entry and exiting a smooth and quick process
–    Turnstiles can go in one direction or two. You could time it so that it only worked as an entrance in the morning, and as only an exit in the evening
–    They are robust, sturdy and reliable

Gateway Automation can help businesses and organisations to protect their assets from serious crime with minimum disruption while maintaining safe and comfortable working environments for clients. For a free non-obligation quotation and feasibility survey please contact Gateway Automation on 01522 682255. Alternatively, our brochure can be downloaded here: https://www.gatewayautomation.co.uk/brochure/

Did you know that rural crime costs the UK around £44.5 million every year? These shocking figures are a real concern for businesses based in the countryside, but many businesses don’t know where to start. Here we look at what can be done to bolster security at rural sites.

Businesses located in the rural community are by nature more vulnerable than those located in more urban areas. Pedestrian traffic is typically lower which means less chance of someone spotting and reporting something suspicious.

Farming insurance organization NFU Mutual have been outspoken in their encouragement for businesses to take seriously the threat of crime and ramp up their on-site security measures. Commenting, rural affairs specialist Tim Price said: “From the South East of England to the North of Scotland we’re seeing brazen criminals stealing cars, 4x4s, tractors, quad bikes and tools”. So how can businesses located in these communities properly defend themselves?

While it is good practice to have a CCTV system in place at a rural site for monitoring purposes, it will not necessarily prevent a crime from taking place and besides, even the best security cameras can be beaten by a well disguised criminal. However, a strong security gate is one method of preventing a criminal from ever gaining access to your site in the first place. Swing gates, sliding gates and bi-folding gates are just some of your options.

Depending on the nature of your businesses you might have suppliers and customers visiting you throughout the day. If this is the case, then you need to be careful that the people visiting are who they say they are. Limit access around your site to sensitive areas and double check credentials. One way to limit pedestrian access is to use turnstiles which can be controlled through use of a keypad, proximity cards, tokens or an intercom access.

Vehicular access in particular will sometimes need to be restricted. Many rural crimes such as machine and equipment theft are carried out by a ram raid and criminals make their getaway in cars or vans. By installing tools like bollards and automatic rising kerbs you can put the brakes on their escape and they may act as a deterrent to criminals making them second guess whether targeting your business is worth the risk.

Are you interested in finding out more? Gateway Automation provide 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 take a look at our brochure which can be viewed here: http://www.gatewayautomation.co.uk/brochure/.

With global warming firmly on the agenda of British consumers for many years now, renewable energy is one of the UK’s fastest growing industries. The renewable energy market offers great opportunity for those interested in harnessing its power and many farm owners are converting large areas of previously agricultural land into solar farms.

However, unfortunately growing in tandem with solar farms has been a rise in agricultural theft, with some solar farms targeted by criminals. NFU Mutual stated in a recent report that last year rural crime cost the UK a total of £44.5m and the level of crime is “rising at its fastest rate since 2010”.

One example of devastating solar panel theft comes from Casewick Park, Lincolnshire. In March 2018, thieves stole around £50,000 worth of solar panels and inverters from a rooftop installation. Police reported their suspicions that a truck or large van would have had to have been used due to the sheer weight of all the components stolen in the raid.

Elsewhere, in Stratford thieves targeted a site at Drayton Manor Farm where hi-tech solar panels worth upwards of £45,000 were stolen. Once again, the police suspected that thieves must have used a lorry to steal the parts.

It was reported that Hampshire police were recently investigating a total of six incidents across Hampshire which included theft and criminal damage across solar farms in the area.

So how can we tackle the problem of solar farm theft? One way to do so is to make it as difficult as possible for criminals to make a quick get-away.

Using perimeter gates, fences or automatic rising kerbs can all prevent unauthorised access to vehicles, so too can automatic gates.

Whereas many burglaries are unplanned and opportunistic, the size and weight of solar panels and equipment often means that the crimes are planned in advance. This means that a site which is well secured is less likely to fall victim.

Gateway Automation provide 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 take a look at our brochure which can be viewed here: http://www.gatewayautomation.co.uk/brochure/.

Many car park operators and owners have experienced problems with high sided vehicles such as trucks and caravans using and abusing their sites.

In public car parks such as those at retail outlets and supermarkets, car parking spaces are provided to make it as easy and stress-free as possible for customers to do their shopping. They can visit on their way home from work to do some food shopping, or pop to the shops on their lunch break in a short space of time without having to pay to park in a private car park and then walk from what is often an inconvenient location. However, when these car parks are abused it can cause problems for genuine customers who may be unable to enjoy the car park as it is intended.

Unauthorised vehicles and visitors from caravans and heavy goods vehicles that are not there to shop or visit the businesses that own these car parks not only take up vacant parking spaces for genuine customers (who may decide to shop elsewhere if they cannot get parked), but have also been known to leave behind unpleasant litter and mess which has to be cleaned up by the businesses operating the car parks.

Recent examples include a LIDL supermarket in Hull, East Yorkshire, where several caravans and large white vans set up camp in the car park, a Tesco in North Wales and an aggressive stand-off at an Asda car park in Kinmel Bay, near Rhyl.

One solution to this problem is to install height restrictor barriers which limit access to vehicles of a certain height, thereby controlling what types of vehicles can gain entry and reducing the chances of unauthorised vehicles making their way on to your site.

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.

Whilst at university a great many students opt to stay in student accommodation. While many students will stay in flats owned by their universities, a great many will choose the often far greater amenities and luxury of privately let accommodation. However, it is important that students in these accommodations feel safe and secure in their accommodation both in terms of their personal safety and that of their possessions. Here we will look at how access control equipment can help.

What is access control equipment?

Access control equipment is a means to allow people to enter and exit a room, building or site and simultaneously prevent unwanted visitors from gaining access. Residents are given access credentials such as codes, keys, fobs, or cards which can be used to permit access.

The benefits of access control equipment in student accommodation

Within the student accommodation environment access control equipment protects students from unauthorized visitors who may risk their personal safety or that of their belongings.

While in the past physical keys were staple for most accommodations, the risk of key duplication means that they are often seen as an outdated form of technology. Access control equipment such as fobs and key cards are much more difficult to duplicate and therefore provide better protection to residents.

For criminals, students often represent somewhat of a cash cow as they tend to own products such as mobile phones, laptops and electrical goods with high re-sell values, so it is important that property owners can limit any potential risk with strong security solutions not only for the students themselves but also for their parents who often have deep-set worries regarding the safety of their children, many of whom are leaving home for the first time. When choosing accommodation for their children, parents factor security very high in their list of priorities.

Another factor that plays into many student accommodation facility managers choosing access control equipment to secure their sites is the control of anti-social behaviour.

Student facilities are often host to late-night parties and other types of social events arranged by residents. While this is to be expected, it can be the cause of alarm and unrest for other residents in the building disturbing their studies and quality of life. Party goers could also cause reckless damage to your property. By restricting access to a building to residents and approved guests, you provide some protection against such behaviour.

Here at Gateway Automation we provide free feasibility surveys to assess your requirements and also provide non-obligation quotes. Click here to arrange a callback or click here to download our free brochure and take a look at our impressive range of access control equipment to help secure student accommodation.

In the news we often see stories of owners of both residential and commercial properties coming home to find that their properties have been taken over by squatters or unwanted visitors. However, rather than there being a simple solution once squatting begins, there is often quite a lot of difficulty involved in removing squatters and the law is sometimes unclear.

Squatting defined

In England and Wales, squatters are defined as a person or persons who is not the owner of a property or piece of land but has entered that place with the intention to live there. This is sometimes known as ‘adverse possession’. The reasons for squatting are vast and may be driven by homelessness, poverty, protest or other reasons.

What the law says

While the law is quite well defined with regards to squatting in residential property like apartments and houses, it is less clear with non-residential property and may be termed as trespass. With residential property, squatting can lead to large fines, prison sentences or both. With non-residential property though such as schools, warehouses, factories and shops the law is less clear.

The act of being inside a non-residential property without express permission is often deemed as trespass which is a civil matter and means that property owners must seek resolution through the courts – which can often be a lengthy process. The only way that the police can take action is if there is proof that another type of crime has been committed such as fly tipping, criminal damage, use of utilities without permission or other criminal matters and because of this, commercial properties or often targeted by squatters.

The process of removing squatters is often a lengthy process with land owners having to apply for what is called an interim possession order (IPO) which can take time to be processed in which time damage may have been caused to your property without your knowledge. Seeking to remove squatters yourself is not only dangerous but should you use force could mean that you face criminal charges yourself and therefore prevention of squatting is often the best strategy to take.

Prevention

There are plenty of different methods for securing a vacant property from being accessed by squatters. Strong perimeter security tools such as gates and barriers are an important place to start. However, every property is different and may require different approaches to put a stop to unauthorised access.

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 and to arrange a risk assessment, please call us on 01522 682255.

With the school holidays just around the corner, many schools are thinking carefully about what maintenance work needs to be carried out across their sites over the summer months. Here at Gateway Automation we are encouraging schools and educational sites to take the school holidays to not only ensure that their sites are protected but also to review the safety levels of their security equipment.

How gates can protect schools from crime and reduce truancy

Security is high on the agenda for many schools, ensuring that only authorized visitors can access the site and that the safety of their pupils is safeguarded. Equally, it is just as important that schools are able to ensure that their students stay safely inside the school premises and that they are able to effectively prevent truancy among students and perimeter security tools can help with both aspects.

Whether this is achieved through access control equipment like intercoms, keypads, cards or fobs, or by installing a turnstile system allowing staff to check credentials, it should be high on the agenda when looking at how to meet their expected requirement and one key tool that is common place is the use of security gates.

Gate safety

A strong security gate is one of the most effective forms of access control and creates a physical barrier that acts as an obstacle and a deterrent against crime. However, it is vitally important that schools have their gates fitted by professional installers who are aware of how to make a gate safe as well as secure. Further to this it is equally important that those gates are maintained to a high standard, rather than left in a dangerous state. Neglecting to have them fixed can lead to fines, damage to the school’s reputation and in some cases, and worst of all, a devastating loss of life or injury to pupils, staff and visitors.

Gateway Automation provide a range of gates to help businesses and individuals to secure their sites and also provide nationwide servicing and repairs to gates, barriers and other perimeter security equipment. We are proud to be certified as Gate Safe Aware Installers. To find out more, please contact us on 01522 682255 or take a look at our brochure which can be viewed here: http://www.gatewayautomation.co.uk/brochure.