Giving Intruders a Shock Will Keep Them Out

With commercial premises are under siege after-hours from increasingly determined criminals, Harper Chalice is advising transport and logistics…

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With commercial premises are under siege after-hours from increasingly determined criminals, Harper Chalice is advising transport and logistics companies to upgrade security with electrified perimeter systems. Writing in the forthcoming (December 2011) edition of Roadway magazine, the official journal of the Road Haulage Association, Harper Chalice marketing manager Nigel Blackman says more companies should consider the electrified security option.

The article is part of a campaign to educate the road haulage sector about the benefits of the UK’s most successful electrified perimeter technology, PulseSecure.

The message to the haulage sector is: how much do you know about pulsed electrified perimeter security systems? If the answer is ‘not much’ then you are not alone: a recent telephone survey of RHA members conducted by the specialist security company Arbus suggests that most managers don’t even realise that pulsed electrified perimeters are available.

But if you fall into that camp, then you may be missing one of the most effective, and affordable, perimeter security tools now available. Pulsed electrified perimeter security systems are proving themselves in action at storage depots, vehicle compounds and warehouses (as well at high profile sites ranging from power stations to international major sporting venues) and have the advantage of being much less expensive and more reliable than other solutions.

One reason, perhaps, for their relatively low profile, is that they are less obvious than spikes, coils of barbed wire, or elaborate, rotating wall toppings. They are being installed in a growing number of locations from city centres to out-of-town industrial units, but because they are unobtrusive by design they tend not to be noticed until you are up close to the protected perimeter.

One of their unique advantages is that they actively deter intruders – should a would be intruder ignore the warning signs and come into contact with the pulsed electrified system they are automatically repelled by a short, sharp regulated safe but painful electric shock!

Furthermore, if a would be intruder continues to try and penetrate, cut or climb the PulseSecure perimeter security system, the system will generate a local alarm which can be used to switch local or remote alarm monitoring systems and CCTV cameras for alarm verification and response. By design and the nature of the systems false alarms are virtually unheard of.

It’s almost exactly twenty years since the first electrified perimeter security systems were installed commercially in the UK. Pulsed electrified perimeter systems are legal providing they are designed and installed using components that are compliant with British and European standards including BSEN 60335 safety standard for electric fence energisers and designed, installed and maintained in accordance with BS1722 part 17 The British Standard for the design, installation and maintenance of electric security systems. For details of approved suppliers and installers contact the European Fencing Industry Association via their web site www.efia.co.uk

When first introduced in 1992 many potential users queried the legality and safety of pulsed electrified perimeter systems. Compliant systems are legal and safe providing they are designed, installed and maintained in accordance with BS1722 part 17. PulseSecure, pulsed electrified perimeter security system was in fact the first perimeter security system to achieve “Secured by Design” Police Preferred Specification.

By design pulsed electrified perimeter systems are extremely reliable and have a proven track record of stopping further crime and losses from the most difficult of sites where other systems had failed. Pulsed electrified perimeter security systems can be applied to almost any existing perimeter fence, gate, wall roof top or structure to actively defend, deny, deter and detect any attempt to gain unauthorised access. Pulsed electrified perimeter systems are designed and installed in accordance with BS1722 part 17 which is the British Standard for the Design, installation and maintenance of Electric Security Fences. This addresses “Duty of Care” to ensure that innocent passers-by do not accidentally come into contact with the electrified systems. It is only if a would be intruder ignores the warning signs and tries to gain access by cutting, climbing or trying to penetrate the protected perimeter that they come into contact with the system and are repelled.

The systems are low maintenance and are low cost to run, as the electrified system is pulsed energy which pulses one every 1.2 for less than 1/300 thousandth of a second the energy used is very low typically less than 5 watts per zone or area. For safety purposes the pulsed energy is regulated safe less than 5 joules into a 500 ohm load. This is the same safety standard that is applied to agricultural farm energisers. The 5 joules is the shockability of the system. By design the systems are therefore safe for humans and animals to come into contact with until they are repelled by the pulsed electric shock. The more intelligent the animal the quicker they learn not to touch the system, better still they see the Warning signs and keep away.

Since those early days the technology has been rigorously tested, to the point where the highest rated systems today are approved by the police ‘Secured by Design’ Police Preferred Specification scheme and are frequently specified for use on government sites as well as numerous commercial applications.

Effective against intruders

Two recent examples show how well these systems work:

The UK-made and tested Harper Chalice PulseSecure system, installed at a caravan storage business in South Wales, is now preventing all intrusion for a fraction of the budget that has up to now been spent on out-of-hours guarding.
With the system up and live, the criminals who had previously caused significant damage – including a £2m arson attack on one occasion – are being kept out. There have been no intrusions since the system was commissioned. Not even taking into account the savings from crime prevention, the owners have recouped their investment on manned guards in a little over six months – over the life-time of the PulseSecure system those savings will be enormous.
Similarly, at the 911 Vehicle Recovery compound in Glasgow, persistent attacks by determined criminal gangs have been totally stopped. With the complete security provided by the system over the last 18 months, 911 Vehicle Recovery has opened a second vehicle storage centre and is moving ahead with plans for further growth.

“We’re already winning new business thanks to our improved security, because we can properly guarantee to protect the vehicles in our care,” confirms the company’s owner and Managing Director Stephen Greenhorn.

The company previously had to deal with regular attacks by thieves and vandals attempting to steal, damage or destroy vehicles – all these attacks have now stopped completely.

Put simply, a PulseSecure electrified perimeter security system – whether fitted to a host fence, gates, wall, roof top, or building structure – will keep criminals out and it will only alert you if there is a genuine intrusion attempt to gain unauthorised access.

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