Mitigating Protests, Smart Mobs and Crime with Manual Revolving Doors

It is no secret that we’re living in a time of great unrest. The news is laden with headlines publicizing "lives matter" and "occupy Wall Street" movements, political protests, active shooter incidents…the list goes on. As a result, businesses are seeing an urgent need to protect their customers and staff from the impacts of these disruptive, destructive, and even deadly acts.

You may have seen it on the news, a Fortune 500 financial firm fell victim to a smart mob after the firm provided funding to an unpopular project, bringing into question their stance on environmental sustainability, among other topics. Angry protestors walked right through the front door of one of the firm’s offices and, with signs in tow, hooked arms in front of an elevator bank to prevent employees from getting to work. It wasn’t until 4 hours later that the protestors finally vacated the lobby.

Tangible and Intangible Impacts of Unauthorized Entry

What could be the impacts of such an incident? The tangible, bottom line impacts include bad press, a loss of productivity, and potential property damage if things turn sour. There can also be some intangibles, like physical pain and suffering, and a feeling of anxiety, stress, and insecurity among employees as they wonder what could happen tomorrow. According to a study conducted by SHRM in 2016, over 88% of those surveyed stated that “feeling safe in the work environment” was either important or very important to their overall job satisfaction.

An Unlikely Solution to a Likely Problem

While these types of incidents are happening regularly across the nation, it shouldn’t take the prospect of hundreds of picketing protestors outside your door, or looting and fire wielding on your street after sunset, to get you to start thinking about increased building protection. And, that protection starts right at the front doors. Could a plain old, manual revolving door provide that first layer of protection against unwanted building infiltration? The answer is “yes!”

While revolving doors are typically known for providing energy and space efficiency, certain manual revolving doors can be equipped with security features. These doors are being deployed in urban locations to safeguard residents in high-rise apartment buildings located near neighborhoods with more incidents of crime. They are popping up in both urban and rural areas where management wants to keep outside altercations from coming inside. Revolving doors are providing comfort to staff members entering office buildings or public spaces such as museums, afterhours, often alone and at night.

Four Security Features of Manual Revolving Doors

Take a look at what’s new for manual revolving doors in these distressing times. These features are more applicable today than ever and some require electrical power to operate:

• Exterior night locking doors. Perfect when you want to convey “this establishment is closed!” A set of bi-parting doors slide over the revolving door opening, closing off its compartments. The exterior doors act as a visual deterrent against infiltration afterhours.
• Security lockdown. During normal business hours, in the event of an immediate security threat, facility or reception staff can electrically lock the door wings immediately, in any position, at the push of a remotely located button.
• Remote locking. Door wings can be locked manually at the push of a remotely located button, or locked automatically at say, 5:00pm by an access control system. This method is different from the security lockdown feature, though. Overhead anti-entrapment sensors scan the compartments for user presence. If someone is inside the door while the lock is engaged, the door will continue to rotate until the compartments are clear rather than stopping on a dime. The door will stop in the “x” position, with its wings pointed at the end posts and then lock in place until unlocked.
• Access control integration. Secure afterhours access is possible via an access control device mounted on the outside of the door. Upon valid authorization, usually by means of an access card reader, the door wings will unlock and the user can push to enter the facility. Once the user is clear, the door positions itself and locks.

It’s a crazy world out there, but there is something that you can do today to safeguard your business, and it can begin right at the front door. Ask your revolving door provider which models are equipped with these security features (ours is called BoonAssist TQ).