Three Ways Concrete Barriers Keep Properties Secure During Lockdown

With the UK now on our second lockdown, businesses and construction sites have identified a steep rise in risk factors. Empty properties, lower staffing levels and suspended projects leave premises vulnerable to theft, intruders, and criminal activity.

It is more vital than ever to protect your assets, materials and equipment in a time of economic uncertainty and business pressures.

Concrete barriers are the first line of defence against numerous types of illegal access.

With a fast installation process, this cost-effective solution can make the difference between a secure, safeguarded site, and a property that is exposed to criminals at the worst possible time.

Let’s look at the key applications, environments that benefit from an increased level of security, and why concrete barriers are the fastest way to defend your premises.

1. Preventing fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is much more than a nuisance; it can cause an enormous amount of disruption, and additional damages to business:

• Costs to hire professional waste clearance contractors.
• Dealing with the impact of hazardous or dangerous waste.
• Time delays impacting the productivity of your workforce.
• Damage to foundations, soil, fencing and property.
• Criminal access issues, such as damaged perimeters and access points.
• Additional pressure on managers to control the safe disposal of fly-tipped waste.
• The requirement to complete new risk assessments and re-evaluate security.

Not only is fly-tipping a significant business disruption, but it can also open the floodgates to further breaches, with the site left vulnerable and exposed.

Often, we hear from clients who have experienced one fly-tipping incident. This increases from an isolated security violation to a regular occurrence, causing lasting damage and costs to landowners.

Concrete barriers are an optimal way to prevent fly-tipping.

A simple, immovable barrier prevents vehicles from having any access to your site. This protection makes it an unappealing prospect for illegal waste disposal, with no way to transport large objects, bulk waste or materials onto your property.

With a range of delivery options, including trailer-mounted forklifts and lorry-mounted cranes, Problock delivers concrete barriers to any site. Individual block options range from one to five tonnes to deter any vehicle.

2. Crowd and Traffic Control

Another issue for businesses coping with the demands of lockdown is how to control site access safely. These challenges include vehicular points of entry, and large numbers of visitors – either on reopening, or when managing premises with limited staffing numbers.

Social distancing has become a priority for us all, and for many organisations, finding ways to strategise around this safety protocol is a difficulty.

Concrete blocks are a simple, versatile, and low-cost method of managing large crowds, vehicle access routes, or separating pedestrian and vehicular access, thus reducing demands on staff time when resources are restricted.

There are multiple benefits to using concrete barriers for crowd control and traffic management:

• Adaptable to any layout or site, including parks, outdoor venues, public access facilities, and alongside roadways.
• A variety of size and construction options to create side-by-side barriers, higher barricades or wall barriers as required.
• Fast and efficient installation.
• Vehicle control barriers are crash tested to withstand the heaviest of impacts.
• Instant protection for workers, visitors and pedestrians on sites with moving vehicles or near to roadways.
• Clearly visible, and an effective way to route traffic, prevent unauthorised access to restricted areas, and manage the flow of pedestrian movement.

When it comes to visitor safety, traffic and parking control, concrete barriers are a cost-effective solution that reduces the demand for manual traffic direction and implements effective site management.

3. Securing Vacant Businesses During Lockdown

With lockdowns, furlough schemes and working from home swiftly becoming the norm in 2020, business closures also present a significant risk. Site safety during shutdowns is critical.

The volume of temporary closures is vast (Statista):

• In construction, 29.1% of UK businesses have temporarily closed.
• 22.7% of manufacturing businesses have been shut.
• Across all industries, 24.3% of organisations have needed to pause trading.

This unique environment creates an optimal landscape for criminals, with hundreds of thousands of empty sites, vacant industrial parks and unmanned commercial premises.

For business owners, the key here is protection and prevention.

The costs, time, stress, and insurance wranglings associated with criminal break-ins, theft, vandalism or squatters is a strain many organisations struggle to cope with.

In these times of increased pressure and managing trade during a global pandemic, protecting your assets and properties is crucial – so that when work can resume, it does so smoothly and quickly.

Concrete barriers are a top-rated solution for vacant businesses, particularly those closing temporarily during the Coronavirus pandemic, because:

• Blocks can be quickly installed, are cost-effective, and available for both short-term and long-term hire.
• Concrete is an ideal safeguarding option, with blocks used to defend car parks, entrance ways, perimeters and roadways when not in use.
• Unauthorised breaches are wholly prevented, with no vehicular site access, and no way to move or work around the barrier in place.
• Businesses have the assurance of a versatile security solution, built and constructed on-site to suit their site vulnerabilities and key risk points.

Proactivity is essential in ensuring your sites and premises are safe, regardless of the duration of your closure.

By installing concrete barriers, your property is safeguarded. It stands out as a location that is no easy target for intruders, with the most robust defence in place during times when the site remains empty.

For more information about concrete barrier hire, assembly options, or the recommended concrete block construction for your site, contact Problock today.