The safety and security of schools are on the minds of most educators today, as it is vital that plans, preventative measures, processes and systems are in place to protect all of the people as well as the property itself. Protection, however, can be a big expense.
The difficulty with safety and security is that it is about “people over products,” meaning that you could spend all of your money on the best security policies and strategies and solutions but unless people are enforcing them, adhering to them, and are being vigilant, they aren’t going to bring you the results that they should.
This is quite a disheartening thought but you shouldn’t fret. Here is a quick guide on how to use your education budget cost-effectively when it comes to safety and security.
Think about your 2 main priorities
It can be really tempting to spend money on fancy security systems or on products that are cheaper just to feel like you have some sort of level of protection, but you don’t need everything, you need products that give you the most value and that protect two things:
- Your property
- The people and assets inside your property
It’s important that you have these two priorities in mind when you’re considering how you’re going to protect them, otherwise, you may make purchases that are just a waste of money.
Think of your main weaknesses
When you’re deciding on where to spend your budget when it comes to safety and security, think about your main two priorities and their weaknesses. Once you identify the weaknesses, these are the areas that you need to dedicate funds to first.
To protect your property, assets and the occupants, you have to overcome two main weaknesses:
- Glass windows and doors
- Safety hazards
Glass windows and doors are the weakest points of a building making them a vulnerable entry point into a school, whilst inside, everyday hazards such as slippery floors and trapping fingers in door hinges pose the biggest safety risk. Reducing or preventing these threats to safety and security should be your top priority when allocating your budget, so think of the most cost-effective ways to do this.
Invest in cost-effective products that get the job done
While your educational establishment may have its own specific weaknesses when it comes to security, we can safely say that glass and safety hazards are vulnerabilities that apply to every public building. For the purpose of this article, we are going to show you how to use your budget cost-effectively when it comes to these two issues.
The best way to protect your educational establishment is by investing in high-quality, cost-effective products that are quick to implement in your current environment. Products such as:
- 3M™ Safety and Security Film – 3M has a range of window film products that increase window and door security. From deterring threats and delaying entry to protecting occupants from shattered glass, these inexpensive products protect both your establishment and your students. (See for yourself how 3M™ Window Film fairs when put through Break In Entry Testing!)
- DDA Manifestations – It is a health and safety requirement to apply manifestations to glass doors, glass partitions and screens to make sure that solid glass is evident. If you don’t have the minimum requirement, or even if you do, a cost-effective way of increasing safety and security is to apply frosted graphics or window film, reflective materials or solid colour vinyl film. These products can be applied to your existing windows to provide privacy rather than having to replace all of your windows.
- Anti-slip Materials – Slips, trips and falls are the leading cause of accidents and injury in public spaces, so part of your educational budget needs to ensure that the right safety measures are implemented. Consider anti-slip materials to areas of steps, ramps, and walkways, such as anti-slip fibreglass and liquid (long term solutions depending on level of foot traffic) or anti-slip tape (shorter term solutions depending on level of foot traffic). Not only do these products significantly reduce and prevent potential accidents, but they can also be installed with minimum disruption and are incredibly durable too.
- Finger Guards – finger trapping that leads to surgery or amputations is a surprisingly common injury in the UK, especially when it comes to environments with children who are 15 years or under. Why it’s surprising is that this accident can be completely prevented with one product: finger guards. An incredibly inexpensive solution, applying finger guards to all of your door hinges will provide complete safety against this type of injury.
A takeaway message
Although complete safety can’t be achieved because people aren’t always aware or vigilant, you can use what budget you do have to protect them as much as you possibly can. Invest in high-quality, cost-effective products that protect against both external and internal threats and you can make sure that your establishment and its occupants are sufficiently protected for a very long time.
Protect your educational establishment with Applied Products
At Applied Products, we offer a range of premium-quality yet affordable products that maintain compliance with international high standards in safety and security. We can help you identify and mitigate risks in your school environment as well as providing you with the tools to do so, so please get in touch and we can work together to build the safest working environment possible for your students!
Applied Products – [email protected] / 01792 895730
