A 2020 NFU report reveals that rural crime in the UK cost £54.3 million in 2019 which is an increase of nearly 9% on the previous year, making it the highest cost recorded in eight years. According to its Rural Crime Survey 2020, the Countryside Alliance reported that 38% people had a crime committed against them in the last 12 months, ranging from fly-tipping and poaching to theft from outbuildings.
The continuing rural crime wave has prompted many farm owners to consider upgrading the security measures they have in place to protect their farm buildings. However, on a busy farm where farmworkers need easy access to buildings, the traditional lock and key approach is not always up to the job.
Farm operations run to tight schedules, and workers have to be able to obtain tools and equipment at all times of the day. This poses problems when someone forgets their keys and can’t access a building, particularly on larger farms where the nearest colleague with the correct key may be some distance away. Similarly, a farm worker might leave the business but still hold keys to buildings which contain high value assets. Farm owners need to be sure that only authorised people can access farm technology, machinery, and vehicles, but it’s all too easy to lose track of who has keys to the buildings where equipment is stored.
The best way to make sure farm buildings are easily accessible is to fit outbuildings with keyless access solutions. Code operated locks eliminate the need to carry large sets of keys, and there is no danger of a lost key and all the inconvenience that can cause. With keyless access solutions, farmworkers can be much more productive as it removes the need to search through bunches of keys or trek across the farm to ask someone to unlock a building.
Another great advantage of modern keyless access solutions is their functionality. Even with a simple mechanical coded lock, the code can be shared with anyone who requires access, avoiding the need to meet in person when staff need to hand over keys. Smart access control solutions offer even greater flexibility and enable managers to generate and send time-sensitive codes for use within a specified time frame, view the lock’s usage history, control and restrict access plus many more features and benefits.
Smart locks are particularly suited to farm offices, as they contain confidential information and valuable and easily portable equipment, such as laptops and mobile devices. By allocating staff with individual codes, farm managers can track who has accessed the office at given times, helping to improve security. By generating and sending single use, time-specific codes, farm managers can also provide access to delivery people, even when they are out and about on the farm, without having to compromise security.
Codelocks offers a range of keyless access solutions, from mechanical coded locks to advanced smart lock solutions. The Marine by Codelocks range is specially designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, ideal for agricultural applications, and many Codelocks products can also be fitted with a PINGuard™ by Codelocks cover, providing additional PIN security and protection from adverse weather conditions. Security solutions like these are affordable, easy to use and can be fitted anywhere without the need for hardwiring – making them perfect for busy farms with assets kept in multiple outbuildings.
With a modern approach to security, farmers will have the peace of mind that their workforce can access the tools to keep the farm running smoothly.
30, Sep 2021