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.

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.