Entrance control

Safety gates that fit your unique needs

Every site is different, so it’s important to find a security gate solution that’s right for your specific circumstances. The first step is to analyse the access patterns for your premises and define your requirements in detail. Some of the key questions to ask yourself are:

• Who should I allow to access my site, and what entry points should I provide for authorised employees and visitors?
• What type of access should I permit at each entry point? Should I have separate security gates for pedestrian and vehicle access?
• Do my access requirements change at different times of day? Should a gate be open during business hours, but securely locked at night?
• What access patterns do I expect to see at each entry point? Should my security gates open and close for each visitor, or remain open to allow a constant flow of traffic?
• Is speed of entry important? A hospital might want to ensure that ambulances can enter and exit as quickly as possible, while an entertainment venue might want to restrict pedestrian throughput to prevent overcrowding and safety issues.
• How secure do my premises need to be? A public park may only need manual gates that a warden can close at night to deter trespassers; a nuclear power plant will need much more robust security with automated gates that are monitored 24/7.
• How am I going to manage gate safety and maintenance to ensure that my entrance control systems are always legally compliant and that visitors can enter and leave my site safely?

How can I choose the right security gate?

Once you start talking to a gate company, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the huge range of options for entry control, from simple manual barriers to high-end commercial electric gates. But most entry systems fall into a few main categories:

• Swing gates are the most traditional solution—a strong, simple, and cost-effective design that can be either manually or electrically controlled.
• Sliding gates are suitable for wide entrances, for example, where multiple large vehicles need to enter or exit your site simultaneously.
• Bi-fold gates are designed for speed, with accordion-like structures that can quickly fold open and closed each time a vehicle passes through.
• Turnstiles are useful when you need to control the flow of large numbers of pedestrians into or out of your site.
• Barriers are ideal for regulating vehicle access and marking boundaries, without completely closing off an entry point—for example, to allow pedestrians and cyclists to pass freely, while restricting access by larger vehicles.
• Bollards help you demarcate pedestrian-only areas and protect sites from accidental or deliberate damage by unauthorised vehicles.
• Electronic access control systems can be integrated with your IT network to manage and automate access to your site across multiple entry points.

What should I look for in a gate company?

A good gate company should be able to support you at every step in your entrance control journey, from the initial analysis and design of your entry points, through manufacturing and installation, to ongoing maintenance and support. It is also important to guarantee that security gates meet all relevant UK and European gate safety standards.

Security gate assessment and design

Your security gate company should be able to help you perform a comprehensive analysis of your site’s access requirements to identify the best locations for entry points and the right types of manual and automated gates to meet your access control and gate safety needs.

Security gate manufacturing and testing

Security gates, especially swing, sliding and bi-fold gates, are often large, heavy devices with automatic moving elements. To keep people and vehicles safe, you need to ensure that each gate meets safety standards. That means risk analysis, safety-focused design, rigorous testing and documentation, and manufacturing to high quality control standards.

Security gate safety certification

In the UK, it is a legal requirement for all automatic sliding gates to be UKCA/CE-certified. If you can’t prove that your gate is properly certified, you run the risk of legal liability and invalidating your insurance. All Heras entrance gates, turnstiles, barriers and electrical access systems are UKCA/CE-marked as standard.

Security gate maintenance and support

Like any complex mechanism, security gates need regular maintenance to ensure that they continue to function correctly and safely. We can provide appropriate maintenance and support services to help you keep your gates in good condition. At Heras, we offer maintenances contract with specified service levels for response times and first-time fix rates, as well as preventive and predictive maintenance services.

Why should I choose Heras safety gates?

As one of Europe’s leading entrance control specialists, we have been helping customers like you achieve their safety and security goals since 1952. Our experience and expertise led us to design the Heras Security Model, which serves to:

• Demarcate your boundaries
• Deny unauthorised access
• Deter potential trespassers
• Delay intrusion attempts
• Detect intruders quickly

Our strong track record, combined with the ever-evolving skill set of our personnel, reinforces our status as the experts in security gates and gate automation. Request your quote today.

Security gate customer spotlight

Learn how property developer and storage company Boxcomplex worked with Heras to secure its multifunctional business and storage spaces with automatic sliding security gates and entrance control systems, together with robust bar fencing for a complete perimeter security solution.

Find a security gate company near me

Need advice and support to help you find the perfect security gate automation solution for your premises? We have offices across the UK and can provide our services nationwide. Request a consultation with one of our experts today.