In Focus: Safe And Secure With RhinoGuard® Steel GateKeeper®

With large-scale events back on the cards again, we look at versatile crowd protection solutions to keep match-day visitors safe, without making spaces feel overly fortified.

Now that most COVID-19 restrictions have lifted, the return of major sporting fixtures is a long-awaited prospect for football clubs across the country. But, as clubs prepare to welcome visitors to their stadiums again, the recent scenes at Wembley have underlined the importance of maintaining order and ensuring crowd safety.

This means protecting visitors throughout their entire visit and this responsibility begins long before they even reach the turnstiles. For example, wherever large crowds of pedestrians gather, stadium owners have a duty of care to protect visitors from potential vehicle collisions – whether accidental or by intentional attack. However, it’s important to strike the right balance between protecting the spaces around the stadium, while also creating a welcoming impression. Installing lots of heavy-duty bollards might do the trick in terms of physical protection but from a psychological perspective it can actually have the opposite effect, increasing visitors’ sense of unease by making the space feel oppressively fortified – particularly when there are fewer visitors around, such as on non-match days.

One answer is to choose flexible hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) solutions, that can be installed and removed as required. For example, Marshalls Landscape Protection’s RhinoGuard® Steel GateKeeper® is a temporary solution that can provide protection against vehicles of up to 2.5 tonnes, travelling at up to 30mph.

As a surface-mounted solution, with no requirements for anchorage, RhinoGuard® Steel GateKeeper® offers complete flexibility. With no reliance on kerbing or structural aids, the lightweight solution, which is manufactured entirely in Britain, is perfect for short-term security requirements.

Successfully crash tested in accordance with the IWA 14.1 standard, the RhinoGuard® Steel GateKeeper® is an easily deployed, modular solution that can be lifted and installed by a team of four – thus reducing on-site labour requirements and limiting disruption during the installation and removal process. Similarly, the individual upright elements of the structure can be removed to allow immediate access for emergency service vehicles.

Whilst providing superior protection against hostile vehicles, the RhinoGuard® Steel GateKeeper® solution is still easily accessible for pedestrians. Additionally, it can be fitted with a retractable barrier tape to allow sections of the GateKeeper® assembly to be closed or opened as required. For installations requiring vehicle access, drive over ramps can be installed to support vehicles weighing up to 40 tonnes and can be used with or without protective GateKeeper® uprights.

The modular system has been fully galvanised to protect against corrosion over its lifecycle. What’s more, it is available with the option of powder coating and customisation with club colours and logos.

The other alternative is to install permanent HVM solutions, but this is no longer limited to simply bollards and barriers. Marshalls Landscape Protection can offer a wide range of aesthetic HVM solutions to complement any urban design – including fully crash-tested street furniture, such as seating, litter bins and cycle rails. Allowing security measures to be hidden in plain sight, these products can help to make spaces safe without having a detrimental effect on the aesthetic qualities of the existing landscape.

For more information about Marshalls Landscape Protection’s range of attractive HVM solutions, please visit: https://www.marshalls.co.uk/commercial/landscape-protection

Words: Jaz Vilkhu, Managing Director at Marshalls Landscape Protection