SJUK hears exclusively from Stewart Plant, Sales and Marketing Director at Zaun about physical security and fencing within the education sector.

Are your children safe at school?

The school fence, a line of safety we take for granted in the protection of our most precious assets, our children.

But what if you were to learn that the fence wasn’t up to the standards it was required to be to keep children safe?

It seems incredible to think that a fence could be anything more than what it says, to quote a very famous advertisement “it does exactly what it says on the tin”.

However, in recent years with budgets being squeezed across the education sector a race to the bottom has started to deliver school fencing systems that simply don’t make the grade.

Setting the standards

In 2017 the British Standard 1722 part 14 was updated to reflect a growing manufacturing trend relating to profiled mesh fencing systems, one of the most used fences in the education sector.

In the 2006 version of the British Standard is stated for an open mesh steel fence to be compliant, it required a minimum of 5mm thick wire for the horizontal and a 7mm for the vertical wire with a mesh pattern of 200mm by 50mm.

In 2017 this was changed to a 4.5mm horizontal and a 3.75mm vertical.

This reduction in the thickness of the wires leads to a weaker fence in terms of strength and weld.

Since then, with the introduction of overseas manufacturers targeting the UK market with open mesh fencing panels that do not even reach the same standards as the new BS 1722 part 14.

Even knowing that these do not conform to the British Standard hasn’t stopped their installation around schools.

One contractor stated: “If I don’t use them on the project, someone else will and they will win the job.” But it isn’t only the wire thickness that is being affected.

The longevity of the fence is now being questioned as fences that should have lasted 10 – 15 years are starting to go rusty after only a few.

Without the benefit of high-quality galvanising and powder coating, the wires are starting to rust and leading to the fences having to be replaced.

This short-sighted low-cost option can then lead to heavy whole life costs of the fence, even though it only saves a few pounds per meter.

The lower cost materials can result in the whole fence having to be replaced within a few years rather than 10 to 15 years down the line.

Perimeter fencing upgrade

Over the years some schools have been proactive and looked to adopt security standards such as LPS 1175 and Secured by Design in addition to BS 1722 when it comes to their perimeter fencing.

With LPS 1175 the ability to use a lower quality fencing panel is removed. All fencing manufacturers who achieve LPS 1175 are required to be audited every 6 months where all projects are considered for review, including their supply chains.

As the systems have a physical test conducted when they are submitted for testing and the wire thickness measured it removes the ability to then use a thinner cheaper wire on the fencing system after it has been certified.

Removing this ability means that all projects delivered with LPS 1175 fencing and gates offers a minimum delay against forced entry with the corresponding tool kits from BRE.

An A1 fence gives 60 seconds delay against toolset A, B3, gives three minutes delay against toolset B and so on. With LPS 1175 fencing you are getting what you are paying for.

Balancing cost versus security

However, what about the costs involved. V Mesh is currently in a race to the bottom which is seeing non-BS 1722 fencing systems offered for as little as £18 per lnm for a 2.4m system.

A Double Wire LPS 1175 A1 fencing system at the same height would typically cost around £45 per lnm.

When we start to look at the whole life costs of the systems, the real cost differences start to amount.

Typically, a double wire LPS 1175 A1 fencing system is manufactured from double 8mm wires on the horizontal with a 6mm vertical wire.

This robust system can withstand impact not only from attacks but the general day to day traffic of kids, footballs and school bags.

This means that welds don’t break with repeated impact, and with galvanizing and powder coating to British and International standards you would expect the fence to last well beyond 15 years.

The non-BS V Mesh on the other hand cannot take repeated impact without the welds breaking, giving it a typical life or two to three years maximum.

This would mean over the 15 years you could expect to have to replace the fence at least three to four times or aspects of it if you repeatedly installed the same fencing system.

Whilst the LPS system initially costs 2.6 times more than the V Mesh at the end of the life it would have given a saving with all the added benefits of a security rated education fence.

Passing the grade

Protecting the most important assets means you need to start thinking that a fence isn’t just a line of safety to be taken for granted.

It is the first line of defence and the last line of safety. It keeps children safe inside the school perimeter and keeps out those who would do harm.

When specifying or installing in the educational sector, employ the same rules you would use to a security project.

How do we delay, how do we deter and how do we keep safe the most important assets.

About Zaun and the author

Zaun is the only British inhouse manufacturer of woven and welded mesh fencing systems.

For over 28 years it has been the trusted manufacturing partner for sports and physical perimeter security.

All fencing and gate systems are made in Britain at its factory in the West Midlands.

Stewart Plant is the Sales and Marketing Director at Zaun and a former member of His Majesties Armed Forces having worked across multiple defence sectors and for security product manufacturers.

This article was originally published in the June edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.