Self Storage Security in Scunthorpe

Upgrades Access Control With Intercom & Cantilever Gate

Client: Goodwin & Tucker

Location: Scunthorpe

Project: Automatic Gate & Intercom Access

Background & Context

• Scope: The client needs 24/7 access for their clients, but also complete security at the entrance and the area surrounding the site. Self-storage facilities must adhere to various security regulations as well as offer customer privacy.
• The Industry: A new self-storage site in the Scunthorpe area. The UK self-storage industry is worth over £1 billion annually. With so many reasons to need self-storage, such as downsizing a home, moving house, seasonal storage or just additional security for precious goods.
• Key Stakeholders: A family-run business that already owns and rents out the units adjacent to the land used for the storage site. Having realised a need for some existing clients to store goods close by, it seemed a logical step to open the space up for self-storage.
• Initial Challenges: Work has been done in stages, with the gate and access control being the final piece, so the site could be opened to customers. Needed to be timed with the containers arriving.

Objectives

• Project Benchmarks: Looking to open to the public at the start of November, with the containers arriving 30th October and 31st October. So everything needed finishing before they arrived to ensure the site was fully secure.
• Time Frame: 10 weeks from initial contact. This included the initial enquiry being dealt with, follow-up conversations to ensure access control needs were fully understood and specified accordingly. Drawings were also produced to enable the customer to ensure they had the space for the exact gate dimensions we had looked at.
• Limitations: Work had to be carried out during normal business hours to ensure the site was left secure through the night with temporary fencing and temporary site gates in place.
• Key Challenges: Ensuring the gates matched all the previously supplied and installed fencing and pedestrian gates to other sections of the site. Ensuring 24/7 access would be available to their customers.

Approach & Strategy

• Our Approach: Working with our gate manufacturing partner, Wisniowski, as well as our installation team, we were able to design a palisade gate to match the exact details of the fencing previously supplied.
• Bespoke Requirements: The gate needed to be a galvanised finish, without any powder coating, to ensure a complete match with the fencing. All our cantilever gates are galvanised to ISO 1461.
• Responsible Team: This fell under the Specialist Gates & Barriers Team. They dealt with the initial enquiry right through to job completion and handover with the customer.
• Key Resources: Ensuring our installation team was available when we knew the gates were coming due to the site being close to completion was important. Meaning no delays in opening the site. Also, we are members of the DHF, meaning all our automated gates comply with BS EN 12453 for safety.

Solution

• What We Supplied: At earlier stages, we supplied the palisade fencing and pedestrian gates, but for the end result, we supplied a 5m fully automated palisade cantilever gate, with a full safety system to BS EN 12453 in accordance with current legislation. As well as a Videx GSM intercom and an Optex OVS-02GT vehicle detection sensor.
• Expectations: The end result has given the client complete security coverage around the whole site with palisade fencing and an automated gate. They have a GSM intercom that gives them the flexibility to add and remove customer numbers, so they can have access when they need it without the need for somebody answering a phone to let them in.
• Lessons Learned: The install ran really smoothly, apart from the rain, which meant the team had to come back and finish off the next day. The client had an initial struggle understanding the Videx GSM app to add new users and dial open numbers, but one of our team filmed some videos on ‘how to’ plus created a simple user-friendly guide and sent it all over.

Testimonial

“Having already worked with First Fence for perimeter fencing and manual swing gates around other areas of our business and knowing the quality of the products, it was great timing that they had launched a range of cantilever gates around the same time we needed one to finish this new site off.

The ordering process was easy, and the quality of work by the installation team was fantastic. We received drawings that enabled our team to complete the civils work prior to delivery and regular updates leading up to the install.”