DARTFORD, UK. August 18th, 2026 – Schools, workplaces and public buildings should use the final weeks of summer to review entrances, access procedures and physical security systems before sites return to full activity in September, according to physical security specialist Safetell.
The return of pupils, employees, visitors, contractors and delivery teams can quickly change how a building operates. Temporary summer arrangements may also remain in place unnoticed, creating potential weaknesses in access control or disruption when occupancy increases.
Safetell is encouraging facilities and estates teams to review the routes people will actually use when normal activity resumes, rather than looking at individual security systems in isolation.
Key areas to review include:
- Staff, pupil and visitor entrances – confirming which routes should be operational and removing temporary summer access arrangements.
- Automatic and manual doors – identifying slow movement, inconsistent closing, visible damage or unresolved faults.
- Visitor control – checking reception areas, controlled doors, call points and visitor procedures.
- Gates, barriers and delivery routes – reviewing damage, unreliable controls and temporary workarounds.
- Access permissions – removing outdated credentials and ensuring new employees, contractors and temporary staff have the correct level of access.
- Fault escalation procedures – making sure facilities, reception and security teams know who to contact if a critical entrance or access system fails.
Jason Guy, Head of Servicing and Maintenance at Safetell said:
“September can change the way a building operates almost overnight. Entrances that were relatively quiet during the summer may suddenly be supporting large numbers of staff, pupils, visitors and deliveries.
“The return-to-site period is a useful opportunity to check that access arrangements still reflect how the building needs to operate and that known faults or temporary workarounds have been addressed before demand increases.”
Safetell also recommends checking that accessible entrances remain available and that any faults reported before the summer break have been formally closed out.
Where technical faults are identified, adjustments or repairs should be carried out by appropriately trained and competent personnel rather than through temporary fixes.
ENDS