Your employees spend a lot of their time at their workplace, so it is extremely important that they feel as safe as possible when they are there.
Studies have shown that if employees do not feel sufficiently safe at work it can adversely affect staff happiness, productiveness, efficiency and staff retention. There are a lot of things that you, as an employer, can do in order to make your staff feel as safe as possible. The investment you spend in both time and money in these additional security measures will be worth it as it will create a happier workforce that will be more productive. Here are four key areas you can look at in order to improve staff safety.
1. Invest in gates and barriers
It is a simple thing but having gates can really improve how safe employees feel whilst at work. Creating a barrier using gates acts as a deterrent to anyone who is trying to get onto the premises without permission. Having gates surround the entirety of your property not only indicates to everyone which land belongs to your business, it also protects staff car parks. Having barriers and gates will also help protect your assets (not only your staff but also your stock, the premises itself and sensitive data to name a few) it will also help visitors feel secure when they come for meetings as well.
2. Have Access Control
Consider having access control areas where you use proximity cards, intercoms or biometric finger print readers to ensure only authorised personnel can enter the premises. These devices are great to have on the entrance of your main building or, alternatively, any room that contains private and important equipment or information. When visitors come, you can provide them with a temporary visitor pass. Not only will this make it convenient for them during their visit, they will also feel secure knowing you need passes to enter the building.
3. Hire security guards
Sometimes having someone to physically guard your premises can really make your employees feel safe. If you use a security guard alongside barriers, gates and turnstiles, you can ensure only authorised personnel can enter.
4. Enforce speed limits in staff car parks
The staff car park can be dangerous. If you do not have safety measures in place you could end up with injuries. Ensure you have designated areas for pedestrians which are clear to everyone. Make sure there is sufficient lighting so people can easily get to their cars during winter months. Enforce slow speed limits throughout the car parks using speed bumps and rising kerbs to support this.
Taking time to put some of these methods into practice can really benefit both your business and its employees in the long run. It not only protects your businesses’ valuable items or any sensitive data, it also prevents any serious accidents and increases employee happiness and productivity. Being a company known for having the safety of their employees as a number one priority will also build confidence and trust in your business.
To find out more about what security measures you can put into place for your employees’ safety, please contact us on 01522 682255 for a free, no obligation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter security equipment.
4 ways to make your employees feel safe
Keeping staff carparks safe and secure
Having a staff car park is a great benefit for employees. However, having somewhere for them to park their car is not enough. You need to ensure you have undertaken as many preventative and safety measures as possible to ensure that the cars and staff always remain safe, as well as your employees and visitors. If staff do not believe their car and possessions will be safe whilst at work, this will adversely affect productivity and staff happiness. Here we discuss 9 ways you can make your staff car parks as safe as possible, ensuring staff happiness.
Under the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 and subsequent legislation, car park owners and operators are fully responsible for the safety of car parks. This includes employers.
1. Sufficient Signposting
The car parks should be clearly signed throughout. You need to highlight any areas staff cannot park, which areas are for visitors only and have a low speed limit enforced at all times. In addition to this, you should have pedestrian crossings where necessary and pedestrian access only areas.
2. Bollards
Bollards are a great way to separate pedestrian and driving areas. Knowing the cars cannot enter certain areas will provide peace of mind to the pedestrians and help guide cars in the right direction. During winter months as well, you can use the areas marked out by the bollards to indicate to pedestrians which routes are best to work on to avoid slippery surfaces.
3. Speed ramps
Having a slow speed restriction sometimes is not enough. Pairing this with speed ramps can really help make the car park more secure. When staff are entering and exiting the car park at the same time each day, there is a higher chance of collisions or accidents taking place. Ensuring cars are moving around the car park slowly and responsibly helps reduce this risk significantly.
4. Space
Careful planning of the car park needs to happen. You must ensure you have enough room for all cars whilst also ensuring there is enough space for manoeuvring. In addition to this, you need to ensure that any areas that delivery vans need to access or any emergency exits are kept clear at all times.
5. CCTV
Especially during winter months when many people come to work and leave work in the dark, CCTV equipment can really help make the car park more secure, especially from the employees’ point of view.
6. Barriers
Using barriers to the carpark is recommended as it can help make the car park more secure and will ensure only authorized personnel can park their car. Although automatic barriers accessed by the employees is possible, another option is to hire a security guard to ensure the barriers are always working, to allow entry to authorised people only and can also greet visitors as well as acting as a deterrent. Barriers are also great to avoid people thinking they can park there for free when they are not employees. This is especially important the closer to cities and built up areas you are.
7. Height Restrictors
If you only have a small car park which cannot accommodate large delivery vans, then a height restrictor could be something you should consider installing. This will stop larger vehicles entering the carpark and potentially blocking other cars or even causing damage if there is not sufficient room.
8. Control Access Equipment
To create an even more secure car park, you could use Access Control Equipment at the gates and your work building itself. This double layer of security ensures only people with authorization can enter the car park and the workplace.
9. Lighting
Always ensure the car park has sufficient lighting. This allows pedestrians to be easily visible by drivers as well as allow people to walk safely back to their cars during winter months.
Although you may not see it as directly related, studies have shown that a good, secure staff car park will lead to happier, more productive staff as they do not dread coming to work because of fear they will struggle to park. If they do struggle to park, they are more likely to arrive to work frustrated which will impact their performance.
To find out more about you can secure your staff car park, please contact us on 01522 682255 for a free, no obligation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter security equipment.
Keeping your business secure with rising kerbs and road blockers
There are many measures available for controlling traffic and stopping unauthorised entry onto sites such as bollards, barriers and gates. But a very effective method, typically used for high security sites are the use of rising kerbs and road blockers. Here we discuss what they are, how they work and why they can be good for keeping your business safe.
What are rising kerbs and road blockers?
Road blockers (also known as rising kerbs) are an effective way of preventing unwanted vehicle entry onto your property and site. They are tough, reliable and uncompromising as well as extremely durable, meaning they are a great choice for many businesses who want to ensure their site is as secure as possible.
They are hydraulic operated which is an effective way of controlling them and also includes an emergency lower system incorporated into the design, meaning they will still be effective even if you temporarily lost power.
Why are they useful?
Rising kerbs and road blockers are useful in many ways, the main being:
- They are a robust form of security that is durable so they will last
- They need minimum maintenance
- They can be used in both manned and unmanned areas
- They are a strong visual deterrent for intruders
- They come in varying heights of 340mm for cars/ vans, 500mm for more security and 800mm for HGVs and ultimate security
- They can be made in varying widths from 2m-5m depending on the size of your site entrance or car park
- They can be controlled with proximity cards, token acceptors, keypad, intercom and many more making it flexible to suit your business needs
- Optional extras can include warning signage, warning sirens or LED traffic lights, again all depending on your individual requirements
- They are difficult to vandalise
Although road blockers tend to be a solution for high security sites such as military bases and government buildings, a range of other businesses who want to protect their site can benefit from using them as well, such as distribution warehouses or retail. If your business is vulnerable to a threat of vehicle attack, then a road blocker is the best solution for protection. Even if the vehicle is large and going at high speed, the road blocker will cause enough damage from the impact that the vehicle will stop moving.
To find out more about what rising kerb and road blocker options are available for your business, please contact us on 01522 682255 for a free, no obligation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter security equipment.
Why bollards are important on college and university campuses
Bollards are a great security measure and are especially useful in the education sector such as colleges and universities. Here we discuss how bollards can be used on campuses in order to increase the level of security and safety.
When implemented correctly and in the correct locations, they can be used to help students, staff and visitors alike. When you consider how many people are on campus at any one time, as well as the fact they contain banks, shops, libraries, doctors surgeries and pubs, universities are more like small towns and therefore traffic management systems need to carefully be put in place, bollards being one of these.
What are bollards?
Bollards are short posts which are used as protective barriers and to mark areas ensuring both road and pedestrian traffic are aware of the correct routes they can travel. This helps with safety as well as the flow of pedestrians. They are a great form a safety without being intrusive or obstructive as they can fit into the design of the surrounding area.
Car parks
An obvious place to have bollards are in car parks. These can be some of the most dangerous areas on campus, as on busy days there will be both a lot of cars as well as pedestrians. In addition to this, because it is a campus, statistically a lot of the drivers will be young and some will have only just learnt to drive, making it even more hazardous. The combination of trying to find a parking space, people walking and chatting carelessly through the car park and the fact people may be running late can all cause accidents or serious injuries. Having bollards can help this as they can indicate where the pedestrian areas are. Also use them if the car park is next to a busy street. Not only will they protect pedestrians nearby, if a car was to hit the bollard, the damage caused will be significantly less than if the bollard wasn’t there and they crashed into something else, such as another car or even a building.
Also consider using bollards at any drop off points. Similar to car parks, these areas are extremely hectic and therefore bollards can help indicate where pedestrians must walk.
Bike lanes
A common way for students and staff to get around university campuses is by bike. Therefore, it is common to use bollards down the edges of bike lanes. These show to cars and other road traffic that these areas are off limits. It also shows pedestrians that they should avoid walking in these areas too. This improves safety but also traffic flow as the bikes can use this line with no obstacles in their way.
Pathways and green spaces
Having bollards around pathways and on the edge of lawns lets people know where they can and cannot walk. Although they can of course walk between the bollards, having them there acts as a physical deterrent and overall people tend to stick to designated areas. These are important during icy or snowy weather as the bollards can indicate the areas that have been gritted and therefore safest to walk on. You can also use them around artwork features such as fountains or sculptures that you want to protect from oncoming traffic.
Access control
Sometimes, there will be occasions where the emergency services may need access to areas that have bollards stopping their progress. In cases like this, there are automatic bollards available. These bollards are different as they are retractable, meaning you do not have to have them up constantly. This is great if you need quick emergency access or want to open the area up to allow more parking etc on certain days.
Additional safety measures
There are several options that can be chosen to be integrated into the bollards. A crown of LED lights can be added to automatic bollards along with a built-in warning signal. Traffic lights can also be used to warn people when the bollards are moving and when it is safe to pass.
For high risk areas that need extra security, anti-terrorism bollards are also available. These are hydraulic powered and great for protective sensitive sites. They lower the impact of anything coming into contact with it, protecting the area around it.
To find out more about what bollard options are available for your business, please contact us on 01522 682255 for a free, no obligation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter security equipment.
Things to consider before buying barriers and gates
1. What level of security do I need?
This is the first question you should ask yourself. The barriers or gates needed will completely depend on the type of business you have and what security you need. If you require the strongest and most secure barriers then these will inevitably cost more, but you need to think about it as a long-term investment and how much they will benefit the business by protecting your assets.
2. What access do I need?
You need to think carefully about who needs to access your building. Will staff members be needing vehicle access on a regular basis? Do you also need access for delivery vehicles and if so, how regularly? If the answers to these questions are yes then you will need to think of a barrier or gate which is easy and quick to open. Will you have a high number of pedestrians coming onto your premises? If the answer is yes, then you may want to consider the use of turnstiles.
3. What space do you have available?
Another major thing to consider is what space you have available on your property. Do you actually have the space to install the gates you want? For example, if you are thinking about getting swing gates, you need to consider the extra space required for the gate to open fully.
4. What is your budget?
For most businesses, you need to stick to a strict budget and although it would be great if money wasn’t a factor, it often is. You need to ensure you get the product you want which meets your needs whilst still being affordable. Again, you need to think of it as an investment and not automatically go for the cheapest option, as it could lead to your property and assets not being as protected as they should be.
5. Will you have any staff members for security?
If you are planning on having security at your entrance then this will change the type of barrier and gate you want significantly. If you have someone there to open and close the gates and monitor who enters and leaves, then your options will be different.
6. What do you want them to look like?
Last but not least, you need to ensure that the barriers and gates you choose are secure but also look good and fit in with the rest of your property. You also need to think about what impact you want to make. If you want to make an impression and deter people from entering, then you may go for imposing gates. On the other hand, you may want the property to have a sense of people being welcome when they enter, so you may go for a more subtle option instead. Each business is different.
At the end of the day, each business has its own needs for barriers and gates. They vary significantly depending on the sector you work in and the location of the business. There are many factors that will determine what you require from barriers and gates. They are a big investment for companies, so you need to ensure you choose what is right for you. If you ask yourself the six questions above, then hopefully you will know exactly what you require, and we can help you go through the options available to you.
To find out more about our barriers and gates, please contact us on 01522 682255 for a free, no obligation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter security equipment.
Why your business will benefit from barriers and gates
1. Barriers can save you money in the long term
Physical security measures should be considered as an investment for the long term of your business. Yes, some options can be costly, however when you consider the potential losses your company can make if you were ever broken in to, then barriers are extremely good value for money. As your business grows the value of your assets also increases and therefore it is important you protect these as soon as possible.
In addition to these, some gate and barrier options come with automated keypads which allow only authorised people in. This reduces the need of having someone physically being part of the security which will significantly lower costs as you will not need to pay them a salary.
2. Barriers control who enters and exits your premises
Barriers are great at controlling who enters your premises. Although CCTV and other methods can show you who is near your premises, barriers are physical and therefore a must have for most companies. They can be used alongside fences to establish where your boundaries are, ensuring that people understand where this boundary lies. If you have people regularly visiting your premises then you may still need some manned support to help this, however the use of security codes and intercoms help make the entry process both secure and easy.
3. Barriers act as a deterrent
Not only do barriers physically keep people out when they are trying to enter without authorisation, they can help act as a deterrent and put people off even attempting to enter if they are not allowed. In addition to this, some people accidently trespass on company property if they have not clearly defined where they own. By having barriers and fences, this shows people immediately and will avoid any confusion from innocent people who do not mean any harm. This is especially a problem if your property is near public footpaths or roads where accidental trespassing is likely.
4. Barriers can improve the image and professionalism of your company
Having sufficient security can show to others that you take your business seriously. By having high quality barriers and gates, you present the image that you care about your assets and want to protect them. This comes across well to employees who will inevitably feel safer working in a more secure environment, but also to people who you are doing business with you. It shows you are a respectable business and it will look good for your brand and reputation as a company.
5. Barriers are easy to use
Barriers and gates are some of the simplest forms of security but also some of the most effective. They are tried and tested to work well for companies and the fact they are relatively cheap compared to some electrical security solutions makes them an obvious choice. Sometimes all you will need is someone to open and close them at the end of each day.
6. Barriers can prevent certain types of vehicles entering
Barriers are also a great way to ensure only certain types of vehicles enter your premises, or sections of it. Going to height restrictor barriers can ensure you do not get large vehicles entering and parking. This is great for businesses which have car parking areas. However, you need to ensure that if you do need access to large vehicles for deliveries or other purposes that they have an alternative route for access.
To find out more about what barrier and gate options are available for your business, please contact us on 01522 682255 for a free, no obligation and feasibility survey to assess your perimeter security equipment.
What are the security risks in schools?
Unfortunately, there are many security risks that can occur at school ranging from truancy to unauthorised access which could lead to fires, vandalism and threats. Although security measures are expensive, and schools are run on strict budgets, it is a lot more costly to deal with the effects of a security breach than it potentially is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here we discuss some of the security risks schools face and how we can try and combat them.
Property related crime is a relatively common occurrence and risk at schools. Vandalism and theft not only cause damage to the property and the need to replace the equipment, it could lead to a serious data breach if sensitive information is leaked. It also causes disruption to the running of the school and lessons, which in turn will impact the quality of learning. Having repeated acts of this type can also have a demotivating impact on both staff and students.
Perimeter Security
It is common for vandalism to happen on school grounds after hours and during school holidays. Due to the school being unoccupied for significant amounts of time during these school breaks, it makes the premises vulnerable, especially if the sufficient security measures are not in place. Perimeter security is the easiest and often most cost-effective method of controlling this. Having gates and fences around the entire boundary of the school not only prevents unauthorised people from coming onto the site whilst the school is closed, they are equally as effective during school hours as well. Having security gates in full time use will also reduce the risk of truancy. Schools with extensive fields and land need to ensure that all of the perimeter is as secure as possible.
Access Control
A lot of schools have many different points of entry which makes securing the property difficult. In many circumstances the school may offer services to the local community such as a gym, library or nursery which will mean access to the general public will be necessary. Not having control over who comes into the school can cause problems. To reduce the risk of anything bad happening, ensuring the main buildings, and rooms storing important equipment and data such as computer rooms and server rooms, should have additional security and methods of access control. Having key cards and entry codes are ways to add this additional security. Its also important to ensure computer rooms and server rooms are not on the ground floor if possible, as these are in a more vulnerable location.
Bollards and Speed Ramps
It is not only the risk of vandalism, theft and unauthorised entry which schools have to consider. School car parks are there to be used by staff and parents, however these come with their own security risk. Due to how busy car parks come at the beginning and end of the school day, the volume of vehicles and pedestrians can lead to the risk of injury or damage. Having bollards to block off some areas from vehicles parking as well as having speed ramps to ensure traffic is always slow are two simple ways of reducing this risk.
The risks discussed are just some that schools can face daily. The security of schools needs to be measured and assessed regularly to ensure the staff and students remain safe. Although security measures can be costly, Gateway Automation can help to choose the most cost-effective options for you. For a free non-obligation quotation and feasibility survey please contact Gateway Automation on 01522 682255.