“87% of Britons feel unsafe at their place of worship” reveals Jacksons Fencing survey

Jacksons Fencing’s latest research has uncovered the experiences and concerns of the UK’s faith communities when it comes to criminality. Six-in-ten people of the 2,000 individuals surveyed believe their place of worship has been a target of crime, while it appears that almost half of all places of worship are targeted on a monthly basis and upwards of one-in-ten are targeted daily.

The company has released various insights into security at religious venues contained in its White Paper entitled ‘Places of Worship: Understanding Security Issues’. The findings highlight the most pressing safety concerns of the UK’s faith communities, centred on from physical and verbal harassment through to theft, burglary and vandalism.

More than half (54%, in fact) of those people surveyed agree that lots of physical security makes them feel nervous, while the majority (76%) feel safer with a certain amount of security measures in place.

Crime perpetrated at religious venues is far too frequent, with three-quarters (74%) of respondents saying their place of worship is a target of crime at least on a yearly basis. Compared to five years ago, the situation hasn’t improved. Most people (81%) report that the amount of crime on-site has either remained the same or increased.

Despite the frequency of incidences, places of worship play an increasingly vital role in society, with 44% of worshipers saying they are more a place of asylum and safety than they used to be.

Greatest concerns

Three-quarters of respondents remain concerned about security threats, the most worrying of these being vandalism (18%), burglary, theft and robbery (17%) and personal physical attacks (17%). Of those concerned about vandalism, these individuals are most worried about broken windows (52%), damage to the building’s exterior (46%) and graffiti (45%).

With only 13% of people saying they feel secure enough at their place of worship, there is clearly much work to be done. However, while three-quarters (76%) feel safer with security measures in place, there’s a fine line to be drawn. As stated, 54% say lots of physical security makes them feel nervous.

Popular security measures taken by religious bodies include more tightly controlled access (38%), moving donation boxes to more secure areas (37%), removing valuables from display (30%) and increasing physical security measures (25%).

Moving forward, people would feel safer with CCTV (42%), alarm systems (31%), gates (27%), better lighting (24%) and the installation of security fencing (23%).

Detect, defend, deter

Peter Jackson, managing director at Jacksons Fencing, commented: “Places of worship need to be both safe and welcoming. Security has to make worshipers feel safe, provide solace and not deter those requiring support. With so many religious buildings of all faiths being regularly targeted by criminals, the security measures implemented should not only detect and defend against attacks, but they should also deter potential criminals or intruders from making an attempt at crime in the first instance.”

Michael Brooke, head of operational services for Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, advised: “A sensible and practical level of security, which will not adversely affect the efficient running of the place of worship, is essential. The majority of burglaries are committed by opportunist thieves who choose premises that have no obvious signs of security and where they think they will not be seen.”

Brooke added: “Having someone in place who meets and greets visitors is a great preventative measure. In particular, having someone there who knows the congregation enables strangers to be identified such that they can be either welcomed or turned away. It’s also useful to remove and lock valuables away during times outside of services.”

Fastline and Zaun reap instant rewards from shareholding investment move

“Fantastic synergies” and a fresh driving influence mean that Fastline and Zaun are already reaping the benefits of the recent shareholding investment by Fastline and the appointment of the company’s managing director Mike Fellows to the Zaun Group’s Board of Directors.

Fellows and Zaun’s co-founder and owner Alastair Henman see this as only the start of the creation of a ‘united powerhouse’ for the UK and international fencing market to be achieved through close collaboration, combined sales efforts, joint procurement and the use of space to increase stock and production capacity.

In addition to this, there are clear advantages to be explored in the potential combination of specialist equipment and personnel skill sets. Henman stated: “We see this very much as the whole being greater than a sum of the parts.”

Fastline is currently one of only a handful of companies in the UK with in-house palisade rolling, boasting one of the most modern production lines currently in operation. The facility operates 24 hours per day to deal with an ever-growing demand. Add to that the welded and woven mesh production at Zaun along with laser and robot technology and there’s little that this collaboration cannot achieve.

Fastline is renowned for the quality of its products which encompass a near unlimited catalogue due to the business’ ability to produce standard items and also fabricate to highly bespoke requirements.

Mike Fellows (left, managing director at Fastline) and Zaun’s co-founder and owner Alastair Henman

Fellows insight and expertise in the field have ensured that growth for Fastline has been constant and shows no sign of waning. In parallel, Zaun’s proven ability to deliver the most technically demanding and high security projects complements Fastline’s penetration of the general and medium security market.

Fastline has already benefited from an increased capacity for railing production and is capitalising on more opportunities by using Zaun’s labour and robotic welding technology. The companies will maintain large combined stock levels of standard perimeter systems going forward to enable “unrivalled” lead times.

Fastline is now actively pushing Zaun’s products to its own extensive customer base, in turn opening up a plethora of new business opportunities. Similarly, Zaun is now much better placed to serve existing and new customers with an expanded range of railings, palisade and associated products.

Henman concluded: “Fastline and Zaun are enjoying the immediate benefits of an intriguing and, I’m sure to some, surprising relationship within the perimeter security industry. Our varied customer base and, as we both agree, quite different modus operandi seem to have ignited the best of both companies. This was a move not expected by any in the industry, but one that undoubtedly all will now be watching with interest.”

Middle East contract spawns “flat-panel masterpiece” from perimeter security specialist Zaun

A substantial contract in the Middle Eastern has given rise to a new flat-panel mesh security fence from Zaun. The company has designed a variant of its original HiSec ‘358’ welded mesh configuration with an extra wire every 250 mm on the inside to enhance security and keep the panel flat without the need for rails or pressed V-beams.

The British manufacturer is shipping a staggering 200-plus 40-foot containers of the new HiSec Plus panels over the coming year to secure a Middle Eastern site of Critical National Infrastructure. The first six containers have left the manufacturer’s Wolverhampton headquarters with a further six set to leave before Easter.

The design department has offset the additional 4 mm wires – setting quite a challenge to the production team – to enhance the security characteristics and make the single panel act almost like a dual-skin fence.

Zaun’s R&D manager Adam Christie said: “It’s brilliant to see this new system coming off the production line as it has been more than four years in the making. The customer had a very clear specification of what they wanted, but we’ve been able to work with them over time to make enhancements and reassure them at every step of the way on quality, design, production, sourcing and logistics.”

The additional horizontal wires of HiSec Plus remove the typical bowing of traditional 358, while the 2.4 metres-high fence line is further secured with stainless steel razor coil topping and coated barbed wire as line wires.

The panels are bolted to 5 mm-thick cold-rolled steel posts, which are being welded to steel base plates at Zaun by a new robot welder bought specifically for the task, with each post and base plate a massive 75 kg in dead weight.

The rolled steel is folded back on the front attack-prone flange of the post to create an effective 10 mm thickness of steel.  The post assemblies are then bolted in the field to a continuous concrete beam.

The enhanced HiSec specification and fencing system cements Zaun’s ability to deliver bespoke high-security fencing solutions.

Zaun’s HiSec 358 is approved by NOMS for use by HM Prison Service installations where this mesh type is used prolifically due to its tight mesh formation and the fact that it can strecth to 5.2 metres in height in a single panel. It can easily be integrated with different toppings as well as CCTV, PIDs and other electronic security enhancements.

Zaun accredits installers to roll out “unique” ArmaWeave security solution

High security perimeter systems manufacturer Zaun is bolstering the ranks of approved installers for its “unique” intruder-resistant fencing.

ArmaWeave fencing is produced on the world’s largest steel loom at the company’s West Midlands manufacturing base. Crime & Fire Defence Systems engineers were trained in the installation of the product and, over the last two years, have installed kilometres of the high-security woven fencing at utilities sites right across the country.

Now Zaun has formally accredited Crime & Fire Defence Systems as an approved installer of the product, along with Zaun Group subsidiary Binns Fencing.

Zaun has established the new installer scheme because of increasing requests from customers to recommend contractors with suitable installation, quality and safety standards.

ArmaWeave boasts some unique properties which give it distinct advantages, but require some fresh skills and techniques to install. For example, unlike welded mesh, the panels can rake up and down hills such that installers require new skills to square up or rake the panels.

The wire of the panels has a tensile strength typically more than double that for welded panels so special methods are required for cutting the panels during installation.

Zaun’s Chris Plimley (left) celebrates the accreditation with Crime & Fire Defence Systems team members (from left to right) Craig Watts, Pete Rushforth, Chris Singer and Stuart Fletcher

Training for installation teams

Zaun will be training installation teams on the properties and tolerances of ArmaWeave and how it’s manufactured. Instruction is aimed exclusively at ‘fencers’ with proven skills and experience in high-security fencing works and deals only with the specific new skills and techniques required to install ArmaWeave.

Trainers will share the secrets of installation methods Zaun has developed over time for ArmaWeave to make best use of the properties of the high-security fabric.

The training will be for experienced individuals sponsored by a company which can demonstrate its professionalism through membership of a relevant trade organisation and valid UKAS-accredited ISO 9001 certification. The certificate of training will only be valid while the individual is working for the host company. This will ensure that properly trained individuals working under proper quality management install the product.

The plan is to increase the adoption of ArmaWeave as the standard for secure sites of Critical National Infrastructure – such as utilities, Data Centres and nuclear sites – while ensuring consistent installation quality.

Zaun’s sales and marketing director Chris Plimley said: “We invested in the steel loom ahead of the sales in the belief we could produce an innovative product that installers, specifiers and high-security facility managers would want. That has proven to be so true that we need to expand the number of contractors trained in installing it correctly.”

Resistance to attacks

ArmaWeave’s properties add substantial resistance to cutting attacks perpetrated with hand, powered and non-contact tools. The tight mesh pattern provides no climbing aids, again limiting the potential for intrusion.

ArmaWeave CPNI enhanced is tested to the very highest standards and can be combined with other intruder systems, electronics and access control to create the optimum in integrated fencing solutions. The product has also been approved for use with a range of microphonic PID cable systems after testing for many months at a Ministry of Defence facility.

Perimeter security solutions developer Zaun celebrates 20th Anniversary

Zaun is currently celebrating its 20^th Anniversary at what is the “leanest, greenest and keenest” point in the company’s history. The high security perimeter systems fencing manufacturer has reached its China Anniversary in rude health after bold investment decisions and innovations that sometimes ran against the grain.

Shrewd management, key contract developments, the support of clients and collaborators and a relentless focus on the customer have enabled Zaun to grow year on year since launching into the UK’s fencing market back in November 1996.

Co-founder and director Alastair Henman told Risk UK: “Trading conditions have been tough for a fair proportion of those 20 years, so we have had to innovate, invest and add more value to keep ahead and busy. Our ongoing investment in people, equipment and relationships has ensured that we have the most modern machinery and production software. This reduces wastage and speeds up production times, giving us the edge over the competition. Contractors have witnessed the change in emphasis and our commitment to customer care and strengthening relationships. They’re consequently collaborating on more projects with us.”

The business began on a small scale in Rupert Street, Birmingham, by importing mesh from Germany. A lack of space along with the lure of greater support from Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council tempted Zaun to its current five-acre site on Steel Drive to the north side of the city at around the time when the dot com bubble burst, sending shock waves through other sectors of the investment community.

Construction of the Paul Holloway Manufacturing Facility at Zaun’s headquarters on Steel Drive in Wolverhampton during 2010

Next followed investments in the depths of the post-credit crunch slump in the 44,000 sq ft multi-million pound Paul Holloway Manufacturing Facility that houses the world’s largest mesh weaving machine. This produces ArmaWeave, Zaun’s most intruder-resistant product for the high security market.

Process engineering

The past year has seen Zaun buy a new tube laser cutter, a further mesh welding line and engage in the automation of other key processes to further enhance its manufacturing capabilities and capacity as well as cut out waste.

Additional bailers and squashers have boosted recycling, while a new forklift truck has improved materials handling.

The new production equipment coupled with the process engineering brilliance of accomplished engineer Roberto Garziera – who has streamlined a series of processes and improved productivity and efficiencies in production – have helped make Zaun the “leanest manufacturer” in the perimeter systems market.

In recognition, Garziera has been elevated to Zaun’s Board of Directors as technical director. There have also been recent promotions for Chris Rowen (to operations director) and Chris Plimley, who has taken over the role of sales and marketing director.

New design software

Training for ‘shop floor’ staff has seen new welding qualifications for CE Marking and security-rated product manufacture. New 3D design software is replacing 2D throughout the business, in turn affording end customers clearer representations of designs, reducing errors and improving efficiencies.

Alastair Henman concluded: “The political, economic, technological and social environments have changed beyond recognition during the 20 years we’ve been in operation, but we have invested in the belief that we could produce innovative products that our customers would want. This philosophy has kept us ahead of the curve.”

Thames Water extends security contract with Zaun to May 2017

The UK’s largest water and waste company has renewed the appointment of security and perimeter fencing systems manufacturer and specialist solutions designer Zaun on a multi-million pound framework agreement for a further year to May 2017.

Thames Water Utilities retains the option to extend the deal for a further two years to 2019 at the end of the current Asset Management Programme (AMP6).

Thames Water originally selected Zaun as one of four appointed contractors on its framework agreement for the supply and installation of security fencing and gates, and one of three for ongoing maintenance. It hoped to save almost £500,000 with the framework agreement, as well as reaping the benefits of dedicated account management, certified and experienced perimeter protection designers, engineers and technicians, access to new and innovative products and robust management reporting linked to an exacting Service Level Agreement.

Thames Water manages more than 4500 sites, the majority of them unmanned, that require security to protect the water supply for over 14 million people. Accidental pollution, the safety hazards of sewage, the potential for theft and even mindless vandalism all mean that site safety and security is paramount.

Zaun first proved its reputation with Thames Water during its multi-billion pound London Tideway improvements to create a cleaner and healthier River Thames. This entailed work on sites of Critical National Infratructure (CNI) near to the London 2012 Olympic Park at Stratford where Zaun also provided security fencing.

For AMP6, Thames Water set about a “complete transformation” of the way in which it delivers capital investment through a ‘super alliance’ including MWH Global as programme manager that expects to carry out between £2 billion and £3 billion of work, with £200 million set aside for security, in turn bringing its estate up to Defra standards and rendering it fully prepared for any security eventualities.

Thames Water has often turned to Zaun to deliver full turnkey security solutions of integrated perimeter fencing, CCTV and access control systems. Indeed, Zaun has installed its most intruder-resistant product, ArmaWeave, around secure compounds.

Chris Plimley, Zaun’s head of sales, stated: “We’re delighted to have our relationship with Thames Water extended for another year and look forward to continuing to help the client upgrade both its estate and overall security regime with the very best integrated perimeter protection systems available on the market.”

Binns focuses Fencing Contractors Association on delivering for its members

The Fencing Contractors Association (FCA) is on a mission to re-engage fully with members and adopt their priorities as its mission guide. That’s the mandate on which incoming chairman Adam Binns believes he has been elected since taking office for his two-year term at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 25 February.

The AGM ratified the appointment of Administration Services Ltd (ASL) – who tabled a report at the meeting on its survey of all 150 members – to replace retiring general secretary Wendy Baker as the FCA’s administration specialist.

In advance of the AGM, Baker said: “After almost 18 years’ service, it will be my pleasure to have the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to the members whom I have been extremely proud to represent during my tenure.”

Adam Binns commented: “The ASL survey gives us an honest and independent insight on what we’re doing at the moment and on what is valued by members so that we can move the FCA forward and really start to deliver what they say is important to them. We’ve cut our running costs by a third, so there’s more money freed up to promote the FCA and its Certified Contractors Scheme.”

Adam Binns

The Binns Fencing managing director, along with his FCA vice chairman Nick Dybeck (a director of HW Martin), now lead a “rejuvenated Council” which met on 21 April to review strategy and plot a plan for the future.

Promoting the security fencing industry

Rob Oliver of ASL stated: “What came through loud and clear from the survey is that members are very keen for the FCA to continue to promote the fencing industry as professional and for the FCA itself to be the badge of quality within it. Furthermore, given the size and scale of the industry, we ought to be able to grow membership from our current figure of 150.”

Oliver said that other member priorities include training and its promotion, especially given the national focus on apprenticeships and the fact that the industry now has a Trailblazer apprenticeship standard in development.

Members also want better communications, with regular newsletters, e-mails and briefings, more events and reasons to join forces and collaborate on matters of common interest. There’s also a stated desire for the FCA to be the ‘go to’ for guidance and business help with appropriate helplines and experts.

Oliver explained to Risk UK that ASL is looking at how much each of the Helplines is used and will table proposals very soon on which to enhance and which to shelve and how best to harness the expertise in the Council and beyond.

Delivering real value

Adam Binns concluded: “The bottom line is that we have to deliver real value and a reason to belong to the FCA if we’re to grow and strengthen our membership and the services we offer. We’re open to talking to other associations such as the Perimeter Security Suppliers Association (PSSA) and the European Fencing Industry Association (EFIA) to pool resources and strengthen our offer if that’s what works for our industry as a whole.”

The ASL team of Oliver, Robert Osborne and Kim Fitzpatrick boasts many years’ experience of working for Trade Associations, mostly in the construction sector and including the PSSA, which is widely acknowledged as having some overlap with the FCA.

The FCA was established in 1942 to help the buying of timber and other fencing materials to support the war effort. It has four specialist sub-groups: the Association of Safety Fencing Contractors, the Environmental Noise Barrier Association, the Electrical Security Fence Federation and the Gate Automation and Access Barrier Association.

Jacksons Fencing shortlisted for Data Centre Physical Security and Fire Suppression Product of the Year category at coveted DCS Awards

Jacksons Fencing (one of the UK’s leading designers, manufacturers and installers of security fencing and access control systems) has been shortlisted as a finalist in the hotly-contested Data Centre Physical Security and Fire Suppression Product of the Year category at this year’s DCS Awards.

The DCS Awards were created to acknowledge and reward product designers, manufacturers, suppliers and providers operating in the Data Centre arena. They recognise the achievements of solution vendors and their business partners alike and, in 2016, encompass a wider range of both facilities and IT categories than ever before.

The product selected by the panel is the Trident Jakoustic 3, an LPS 1175-certified perimeter fence designed, developed and manufactured by Jacksons Fencing. It’s the only timber-based fencing system that combines certified security ratings with acoustic barrier properties, and was designed specifically for sensitive applications where privacy, a discrete appearance and maximum protection against unauthorised access by cutting through, burrowing under and scaling over is required.

What makes Trident Jakoustic 3 ideal for applications in and around Data Centres is that it offers up to a 28 dB reduction in noise entering or migrating from a site. This is an important factor for a business operating 24/7, 365 days a year where generators for UPS and HVAC play an integral part in site operations.

Peter Jackson, CEO of Jacksons Fencing, commented: “It’s great to be recognised in the DCS Awards. It’s proof that, even in the Internet of Things obsessed world of data security, there’s recognition of the fact that, if you cannot protect the perimeter and manage access, you leave your facility, its staff and assets vulnerable to attack.”

*To cast your vote for Jacksons Fencing visit: http://www.dcsawards.com/voting.php 

**Voting closes on Friday 22 April

Ministry of Justice approves Zaun Group companies to supply prison fencing

Zaun Group companies have been appointed to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) approved supplier and installer list of fencing materials.

The MoJ published a framework contract for the supply of fencing materials on 2 June inviting tenders and requests to participate.

It has now concluded its selection process, including financial audits and sample installations for inspection and testing by MoJ personnel.

Both Zaun Limited and Binns Fencing have been appointed to the framework as approved suppliers of permanent and temporary galvanised steel fence posts and welded steel fence mesh, while Binns is also an approved installer.

The approvals apply to MoJ prison fencing throughout the UK, including those in Northern Ireland.

Electric fence first for UAE military base

Zaun has also installed a ‘first of its kind’ electric fence in the United Arab Emirates.

The Crown Prince wanted an electric fence to protect a military base in Abu Dhabi.

Electric fencing can provide security and protection of perimeters around key strategic and infrastructure sites. The installation of an electric fence combined with a secure fencing system creates a very powerful psychological and physical barrier for would-be trespassers and criminals to overcome. Electric fences offer high impact resistance and an effective deterrent.

Zaun electric fencing has been designed to give trespassers a shock, providing a remarkably high level of boundary and perimeter security.

Zaun first set up an office in the UAE in the Emirates Tower in Dubai in 2012 and has now established a company in the Free Trade Zone.

Zaun enhances ArmaWeave with ability to rake and PIDs

The “most intruder-resistant fence” on the high security market can now be raked across undulations in ground levels due to manufacturer Zaun developing an installation method to make best use of the properties of the high security fabric.

The ArmaWeave fencing is produced on the world’s largest mesh weaving machine at Zaun’s West Midlands manufacturing base. It limits the need for stepping panels on slopes and reduces installation costs significantly compared with standard welded mesh systems while still conforming to the highest rated standards for fencing products defending against forcible attack.

Zaun co-founder and director Alastair Henman told Risk UK: “We had to invest in the weaving machine ahead of the sales in the belief that we could produce an innovative product which installers, specifiers and managers at high security facilities would want.”

ArmaWeave is tested to the very highest standards and can be combined with other intruder systems, electronics and access control to create the “optimum integrated fencing” solution.

Its “unique” properties add substantial resistance to cutting attacks perpetrated by hand, powered and non-contact tools. The tight mesh pattern provides no climbing aids, once again limiting the potential for unwanted intrusion.

In a further development, ArmaWeave has been approved for use with a range of microphonic perimeter intrusion detection (PID) cable systems after testing for many months at a Ministry of Defence facility.

Zaun wins MEI Physical Security Award 2015

Zaun Group has won the Physical Security Award 2015, which was presented by former England cricket captain Graham Gooch at the Major Events Summit in London.

Trade body Major Events International (MEI) has established the Summit as what it plans to become an annual flagship event aimed at showcasing the expertise of its members and offering a peer-to-peer knowledge sharing forum for the sector.

The Summit takes place over two days with day one covering safety, security and resilience and Day Two focused around venue technology and operations.

Zaun joined MEI a year ago to extend its opportunities to supply temporary high security fencing systems to major sporting events worldwide.

MEI has provided international business services and market penetration for more than eight years to companies who want to take advantage of Olympic and World Cup opportunities and win more business in major events.

It interfaces with the international mega sporting events market and can offer in-country early entry support including proposal development, translation, sustained customer contact and market intelligence.

MEI boasts contacts and connections with the key players in the UK, Europe, Russia, Qatar, Brazil, USA, China, Japan and Australasia.

Zaun supplied temporary high security fencing for last summer’s 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and for the 2012 London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.