Helping To Maintain High Security At UK Ports

Maintaining high security at UK ports
Experts are warning us that UK ports could be tempting targets for terrorists intent on killing large numbers of people, grabbing media attention and disrupting the UK economy. Port, ferry, and cruise ship terminals are often located close to highly congested areas where large numbers of people live and work. 

Given the importance of foreign trade to the UK economy, an attack that could shut down a major British port even for just a few days could devastate the national economy served by that freight terminal. 

Clearly, explosive devices are the weapon most commonly used by terrorists. These explosives may be either commercially manufactured or improvised devices which are hand placed by the terrorist, driven by vehicle to the intended target or even sent through the mail to a specific person or facility. 

The importance of safety stand-off
The most effective approach to dealing with the threat of explosive blast is to create a ‘stand-off distance’ between the asset being protected and the area where an explosive device could be placed. 

Achieving stand-off is the single most important factor in reducing the damage caused by a hostile vehicle, regardless of whether the damage results from the blast wave of an explosion or an out-of-control vehicle. 

In short, every metre of stand-off counts. Even in sites where existing built features make stand-off measures difficult to implement, it is important that every attempt is made to achieve stand-off to protect high volume pedestrian areas. 

Each site must be assessed on an individual basis to achieve the maximum stand-off possible given the unique circumstances of the site. Addressing stand-off at the design stage, therefore, provides the greatest opportunity to do this. 

If vehicle access to the asset is required, then active barriers can be used to identify and monitor vehicles allowed past the stand-off perimeter. 

Choosing a Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Solution 
An active hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) solution is usually required to create stand-off and control vehicle access. The term ‘active’ refers to the system’s ability to change from closed i.e. secure, to open, and is incorporated into a variety of different security products including:

Retractable bollards
Retractable blockers
Folding, sliding, swinging, rising-arm gates 

An active HVM can be manually operated or powered, either hydraulically or electro-mechanically. 

HVM should be chosen not only on the basis of performance or operational requirements but also cost. Careful consideration should be made by the purchaser regarding the whole of life expense of an HVM solution, especially post-installation costs and long-term requirements such as: 

Training
Service requirements
Maintenance and repairs
Spare parts 

If an active HVM is required, then a well-designed vehicle access control point?is also needed. This will ensure that guards are not put under undue pressure or distracted by traffic management duties that might hinder their ability to carry out security procedures safely and securely. 

Meeting rigorous HVM Standards 
PAS 68:2013 is the latest BSI Publicly Available Specification (PAS) for vehicle security barriers, along with the International Workshop Agreement 14 (IWA 14), CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) 16221. These Standards are the benchmark for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation equipment and contain the regime which products are tested against. 

The Solution 
Heald Ltd design and manufacture a range of innovative hostile vehicle mitigation and traffic control solutions. 

Our global client base includes military sites, presidential buildings, palaces, embassies, border controls, airports, oil refineries, stadia, banks, shopping malls, government buildings and much more. 

We are ISO 9001 accredited, and our award-winning perimeter security products include an array of innovative bollards, blockers and barriers which play a significant role in the defence of vulnerable properties worldwide. 

In today’s world security arena, our products have never been more relevant. For more than a quarter of a century, we have protected many high profile sites against targeted attacks with our reliable security products. 

Our bespoke designs are made to fit individual site requirements and meet the increasingly demanding needs of organisations that require high-security solutions against the threat of vehicular attack. 

Our PAS68 shallow and surface mount blockers and bollards require minimal installation and have very modest whole-of-life costs. All our security systems are designed, programmed and manufactured in-house. 

Our products are crash tested to IWA/PAS68 and ASTM (M50 & C40) standards, providing our customers with peace of mind and dependable security products. 

If you have any questions, then please do not hesitate to call. In the meantime, please take the opportunity to browse our website for a better understanding or contact us for more information.