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Combining aesthetics and access control

In a drive to improve the safety and security of its employees, clients and visitors, prestigious law firm Bowman Gilfillan recently upgraded its physical security with the addition of four Turnstar Speedgate Express access control lanes.

The Johannesburg offices of the company are situated in an upmarket 19-storey building in Sandton, occupying 22 000 m² of the available 35 000 m² rentable floor space. The law firm was founded 1885 and has over 500 employees.

“While security is top of mind in the deployment of the Turnstar Speedgate Express lanes, it was important to factor in the overall aesthetics and interior design of the building in order to ensure that the physical security elements enhance rather than detract from the ambience,” says Craig Sacks, MD of Turnstar.

The Speedgate Express lanes, three of which are 550 mm wide and one of 900 mm, complement the sophisticated reception area at Bowman Gilfillan. Card readers are embedded into the cabinets to provide a sleek, unobtrusive appeal.

The Speedgate Express is 3D designed and is precision laser cut from 304 grade brushed stainless steel. “Each unit is hand made with expert welding and polishing for the highest quality finish. The glass wings are made from 8 mm CNC toughened glass for durability and safety in operation; the direct motor mount technology eliminates any linkages and bearings which are prone to failure, ensuring exceptional reliability, says Sacks.

In the event of fire alarm activation, a trigger can activate the barriers to remain in the open position. An opening and closing time of 1 second ensures that no bottlenecks occur, an important factor in office environments. The Speedgate Express can be programmed for various operational modes including entry and exit, entry only, exit only and optical mode for entry and exit.

A sophisticated anti-tamper and anti-tailgate detection feature adds to the overall safety and security of the lanes.

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