What do you need to consider when having automatic barriers installed?

Keeping your premises, business, and staff safe and secure should always be a priority. 

Having automatic barriers installed on access points allows you to control and monitor which vehicles can come onto your site.

We offer a range of automatic barrier solutions and we’ve put together this guide so you know exactly how an automatic barrier can help your business. 

What are automatic barriers?

Automatic barriers have become a popular way for businesses to manage and monitor vehicle access. Typically automatic barriers are used to ensure that only authorised people can enter your premises and to control car parking.

Some of the main things to think about when installing automatic barriers are:

• Ensure you choose the appropriate type of barrier. Commercial barriers are suited to retail businesses and car parks, whilst industrial barriers are more suited to factories and depots due to their longer arms and stronger motors which control access of larger vehicles such as lorries. 
• Consider the type of access control you need. Automatic barriers can be installed with various forms of access control to allow people in and out. You can choose to use a token system, key fobs, or an ANPR system. 
• Regular maintenance. To comply with Health and Safety Executive legislation and to ensure your automatic barrier continues to work effectively you must implement a maintenance programme to ensure safe operation.

We’ve already spoken about what an automatic barrier is and how it can help control access to and from your business, but to give a complete picture of automatic barriers we need to take a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages. 

Advantages

• Improved Security -. It’s important to remember that an automatic barrier is not a security system, and it could still be jumped over, or damaged in order for someone to gain access. However having a barrier allows you to control what vehicles can enter the site
• Reliability- Having an automatic barrier installed with an access control system in place is a reliable and consistent way of controlling access. For example, with a keypad, the barrier will only rise to grant access if the correct code is entered.

Disadvantages

• Maintenance and Breakdown costs - as with any piece of machinery, you need to keep up with regular maintenance to avoid breakdowns that can be an expensive inconvenience.

Understanding Access Control

In order to have a consistent and reliable method of controlling who gains access via the automatic barrier, there must be a form of access control in place. These systems instruct the barrier to rise for authorised personnel. 

There are several forms of access control, some of which we’ve already briefly touched on.

ANPR cameras read vehicle number plates at the barrier, and if the number plate is on the approved list, the barrier will rise. 

With keypads, entry is granted when the user types in the authorised code.
 

Ticket systems, popular in car parking areas, produce a ticket on entry. On exit, the ticket is inserted back into the machine in order for the barrier to rise and allow the person to leave. Ticket systems are a good at tracking the length of stay for vehicles. Ticket systems usually require a form of payment upon exit but with similar token-based systems, tokens can be given to employees to gain entry into the workplace. 

We have a range of access control systems available to purchase, and if you’re not sure which option is the best for you, our friendly team is on hand to advise suitable options for you and your business. 

Arm Barriers