The pedestrian gate is a simple yet effective means to provide your home, business or public setting with an extra layer of security. The pedestrian gate has been around for a long time and has provided a secure and efficient means of entrance and exit control to many. In our modern era, thanks to the improvements in security technology, pedestrian gates have hugely benefited and become more versatile, being used for more purposes in more areas than ever before.
At Glow Innovations, we understand that not only is the pedestrian gate a vital security feature, but it can also be important for first impressions as it is usually found at the entrance to your property. With this in mind, our expert craftsman has designed secure security gates that add to the aesthetic value of private or public property. Our goal at Glow Innovations is to provide our clients with state-of-the-art security but do so in a way that will meet any client’s needs. Luckily, this has become easier to achieve with the pedestrian gate’s versatility today.
In this article, we want to highlight how versatile pedestrian gates can be by looking at a few public settings in which these gates are not only beneficial but can be essential to providing the required security. Although the pedestrian gate’s primary purpose is to provide a secure entrance and exit to any property, we hope that by showing these gates in different public set-ups, you, too, can come to appreciate the versatile pedestrian gate’s ever-growing popularity.
The Role Of Pedestrian Gates In Security
Before we investigate the different public areas this article has decided to highlight, let us first take a step back and really consider the way in which a pedestrian gate generally adds extra security to a property. In this way, we can already start to see the versatility of the pedestrian gate while coming to terms with what a pedestrian gate actually is and form a strong basis going forward.
When one thinks of a pedestrian gate, one may picture a small gate that is generally situated next to larger security gates meant for cars, providing the pedestrian with an easier means to enter and exit a property. This is generally true in public and commercial spaces, but they need not only to be fitted on the outer perimeter of a property. Due to their compact size, you can easily fit pedestrian gates in front of entrances leading into buildings, providing you with a whole host of extra security benefits.
Let us now look at three of the most common security benefits a modern pedestrian gate can offer a commercial property:
Deterrent:
When one thinks of a pedestrian gate, one relates its primary purpose to be a form of access control for pedestrians who are not using vehicles. But many people forget that it also significantly deters those looking to access your property illegally. Simply having a secure pedestrian gate can make criminals second guess whether it is worth attempting to access your place.
Managing Traffic:
A general characteristic of most commercial properties, whatever their purpose, is that they usually see lots of traffic in many different forms, from large trucks and cars to those on bicycles or on foot. Having everyone, whatever their mode of transport, use the same security gate as an entrance or exit can cause traffic jams. Having pedestrian gates available makes it more efficient for those who are not in vehicles to enter the property while also freeing up the space for vehicles to enter the property more efficiently.
Means Of Accountability
Modern pedestrian gates can also be fitted with access control options. This allows owners to not only log how many people are entering their building at any time but also provide visitors to the premises with unique identifiers (whether through biometric scans or passcodes) that let owners know who entered and when. This allows security to hold all entrants accountable for the actions within the property.
Pedestrian Gates In Transportation Hubs
Now that we have formed a solid basis in addressing what a pedestrian gate actually is, as well as some of the important security functions it can enable in any general commercial setup, let us move on to specific commercial setups and see what unique benefits pedestrian gates can offer in these scenarios.
Transportation hubs are excellent public properties to highlight first. Transportation hubs can include harbours, bus stops, airports, and train stations. These areas have several common security threats because, within these areas, large vehicles and large groups of people come into contact daily. Security threats can include anything from acts of terrorism to vehicle-related accidents, from cargo security breaches to crowded environments. How, then, can pedestrian gates help in this sort of setup:
Benefits Of Pedestrian Gates In Transportation Hubs:
Controlled Movement: In large transportation hubs, the primary issue is that there are generally large groups of people hurriedly trying to catch their bus, train or plane. Because of this, people sometimes attempt to take chances by cutting in line or across unauthorised or dangerous areas to get to their transport in time. Having pedestrian gates placed strategically around the transportation hub will force people to use the proper channels to arrive at their destination, which helps prevent disorganisation in large groups of people.
Authorised Access: Because transportation hubs house large vehicles that need to be maintained, fuelled up and packed with luggage, many areas within these hubs are security sensitive. By having pedestrian gates cordon off these areas for those who do not have proper authorisation, you can effectively prevent damage to the vehicles and ensure the safety of the passengers.
Signposting: Transportation hubs like airports can generally be massive, and for newcomers, these large, complex buildings can confuse and disorientate them. Pedestrian gates near the correct entrances and exits provide an excellent platform to place signs, security warnings and gate numbers. This can help clear up confusion for multiple passengers.
Pedestrian Gates And Education Centres
Education centres are the second area worth looking at due to the impact a pedestrian gate can have on these commercial setups. This includes everything from pre-school to universities and colleges. Because educational centres often house younger people or even children, a host of unique security challenges apply to these commercial hubs. From preventing unwanted entrants to taking count of the student body, these are all issues the pedestrian gate can help with. Let us look at some of these security benefits in greater detail.
Security Benefits:
Counting The Student Body: For many school administrators, having an accurate tally of the number of students in the building is an essential security step. When this number does not match the expected number of students, this may cause concern. Having pedestrian gates at the entrances to a school provides a checkpoint at which counting the student body can be done effectively.
Preventing Unwanted Exits: One of the most common issues any education centre faces is what is referred to as “bunking.” This is when students attempt to leave their school without prior permission. The pedestrian gate is an excellent tool to prevent this from happening, as it makes it impossible for those students who do not have the proper authorisation to leave the premises.
Securing The Student Body From Outside Threats: Outside threats can include unwanted adult attention for younger students or even students bringing dangerous implements from outside onto the school premises. Pedestrian gates are significant deterrents preventing those not part of the educational facility from entering the property, which protects the student body and provides an excellent screening checkpoint in which unauthorised objects can be removed from students’ possession.
Pedestrian Gates’s Role In Medical And Hospital Set-Ups
The final commercial set-up this article will delve into is hospital setups. Hospitals are home to emergencies, which means that not only is an effective crowd and access control mechanism essential, but you must also be able to provide security to those entering the building, as many enter a vulnerable state. Hospitals can make use of pedestrian gates, let’s see how.
The Role Of Pedestrian Gates In Hospitals
Patient Management: If you have ever been to hospital, you know that you are not immediately admitted. Once arriving, you must perform a whole host of tasks, including filling out documentation, registering critical medical data and doctor consultations. Strategically placing pedestrian gates between these different areas can help provide a clear route for patients while assisting hospital staff in managing patient progress.
Emergency Exits: Hospitals, like any commercial hub, should always be prepared to handle any emergency situation. Having pedestrian gates fitted with security features like fire alarms and quick-release mechanisms can provide added control to a disorderly situation, which can help manage large groups of people who effectively exit the building in an emergency.
Data Collection: It is usually good practice for a hospital to understand the metrics behind the visitors to their medical centre daily. All this information can be vital, from how many are coming for treatment to how many are there to visit others. Pedestrian gates form great areas where surveys and data collection can be handled before people enter the building.
Glow Innovation And Pedestrian Gates
At Glow Innovation, we pride ourselves on being a leading supplier of gates of all sorts to the South African public. From security to driveway and pedestrian gates, we stock it all. As you have seen in this article, pedestrian gates can be applied to many situations, providing better access control and security. So the next time you are looking for a modern, effective pedestrian gate, look no further than Glow Innovations. Contact us to see how we can help you today.