Manual swing gates: Facts, uses and installation

Although a great number of advancements have been made in recent years in the design and production of automatic gate systems, their predecessors, manual swing gates, still prove to be a low cost and very practical option for lots of businesses.

Manual swing gates are ideal for positioning in situations or locations where it does not make the extra investment of automatic gate systems necessary or cost effective.

Typically, the flexibility offered by manual swing gates has seen them installed in a wide variety of different locations including car parks, business driveways and more general traffic management requirements.

Swing gates provide an arm that acts to block off access to areas which you wish to close off. When access is required, the arm can be swung open manually at a 90 degree angle and closed again afterwards. This arm is hollow, making it much easier for the operator to open and close to the gate if and when access is required.

This gate can be locked in an open or closed position with the use of a padlock, enabling you to provide excellent security and peace of mind during overnight or holiday periods when access is likely not to be required, but also providing you with the flexibility to lock in the open position should you expect high volumes of authorised traffic.

An additional latch post is required to lock this gate in the open position, but it is strongly encouraged to stop the gate swinging back into pedestrians or vehicles during times when you want to gate to be kept open.

For more information on our range of manual swing gates, including specifications and installation, please visit our website here or arrange a call back with one of our members of staff here.

Job Vacancy: Skilled & Semi Skilled Gate & Barrier Engineers

Due to continued expansion an opportunity has arisen for SKILLED & SEMI SKILLED gate & barrier engineers to join Gateway Automation Ltd.

You must have previous knowledge and experience of Gate Automation systems and Access Control systems. Experience of Welding would be beneficial. You will be involved in installations of new systems, retrofit and fault finding so experience is essential.

Job Overview
This field based role will be a demanding role, working under pressure and to strict deadlines. You will have the responsibility of installing new Gate Automation Systems or undertaking the maintenance of existing systems, working individually or as part of a team as required. Fluent English both spoken and written is a must as you will be dealing with residents and customers and delivering detailed and accurate reports to the Office.

An ideal Service and Installation Engineer will hold the following skills and experiences:

* Must have previous experience within the Gate & Barrier industry 
* Valid UK Driving License.
* Knowledge of Door Entry Systems / Access Control Panels / Door Automation systems would be beneficial.
* Fluent English spoken and written is a must.
* Live within 30 miles from our office (LN6 post code)
* Have good knowledge and understanding of Health and Safety aspects related to any gate/ door automation
* Act responsibly and with necessary care for himself, the property of others and his team

Salary is negotiable depending on your experience.

The working hours will be 42.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 08:00 - 17:00. Overtime will be available.

You will also be provided with a company vehicle, fuel card, mobile phone, uniform, Health and Safety training, in-house training on company products and 28 days paid holiday inc bank holidays.

To apply please email your CV to alexi@gatewayautomation.co.uk or call Alex Indans for an informal chat 01522 682255.

What to do if you become a victim of business crime

Whether you’re a small market trader or a large multinational company, there’s a good chance that at some point you may become a victim of business crime. In 2014 alone there were 13,070 cases of business crime reported in the wholesale and retail sectors, with 41% of businesses reporting that they had been a victim of some kind of crime. Therefore, with the risk of becoming a victim of business crime ever present, it’s important that you’re well equipped to deal with this scenario and know what to do following an act of crime against your business.

Step 1 – Don’t touch anything
Although you might be tempted to assess the damage yourself, for example by opening safes and checking for entrance points, this can be counterproductive and often greatly reduce the chances of catching the perpetrator. Although some criminals will wear gloves, not all of them do and valuable evidence such as strands of hair, fingerprints and skin cells can be left behind, all of which can be used to catch the person who committed the crime and make a case against them. It is therefore vital that you let the police investigators do their job. If you find anything that you think might have been left behind by the criminal(s), you shouldn’t pick it up. Instead, bring it to the attention of investigators.

Step 2 – File a police report
Although it might not seem like a top priority at the time, it’s advisable to file a police report as soon as possible, within 24 hours if you can. This way your memory will still be fresh from the incident and will likely make the process of claiming through your insurance company much easier. Be sure to collect a detailed list of everything that’s missing or broken and take pictures of the affected areas for further evidence.

Step 3 – Restore your business
It is important to try and restore normality within your business as soon as possible. It can be an emotional time, but know that the attack was probably not anything personal and most likely motivated by financial gain. Getting the business back up and running as quickly as possible will not only reduce further loss of income, but will give your customers and suppliers confidence in you and may also help your staff start to feel more comfortable and relaxed as day to day life within the workplace is restored.

Step 4 - Take action
Take a look at your business from an outside perspective and ask yourself some tough questions. How was it that your business became a victim? How did the criminals get into the premises? What are the areas in which your security is lacking? And perhaps most crucially, what do you need to implement to ensure this does not happen again?

Criminals that have been successful in targeting a particular business in the past are more likely to go back to commit similar crimes. Failing to take action after break-ins and robberies is a sure fire way to increase your chances of repeat crime. At Gateway we offer a wide range of different security features designed to stop business crime. These include:

• Barriers
• Gates
• Turnstiles
• Access control equipment
• Flow control plates
• Security posts
• Speed ramps
• Automatic rising kerbs
• Crash tested road blockers
• Bollards

Whether your business runs from small retail premises or a large industrial site, we can provide you with a free, no-obligation quotation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter 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 here.