To secure an unmanned area at the Star Community Hub, Tremorfa in Cardiff, the South Wales Sports Grounds team needed a keyless lock solution. Read how they solved their problem by going to Signet Locks.
Sports grounds are important for local sports clubs and teams. Ensuring these facilities are safe and secure is of the utmost importance. At Signet Locks, we are experts in gate locks and we know just how to secure your sports grounds. Read on as we go through our recommendations, tips and a real-life example of a sports ground securing their site with a keyless digital lock.
Why secure sports grounds?
Sports grounds and facilities are used by local clubs, teams, and children alike. The number one priority is to ensure the amenities are as safe as possible for those using them. That includes:
- Preventing trespassing
- Facilitating the games played
- Ensuring there no damaged, faulty, or rusty barriers which could cause injuries.
- For sites with several pitches and sports, making sure each game can go uninterrupted by other simultaneous games.
Checking and maintaining your security fencing and hardware is therefore a big part of creating a safe environment for players.
How to secure sports grounds
Locking your sports ground at night will help prevent trespassers damaging the pitches and facilities. For sites with many members who need access, we recommend using a keyless digital lock. Keyless locks will make life easier for the facilities manager and members. With a simple code, the facilities managers can unlock the site and distribute the code to new members with ease. At the same time, members can get access to the pitches at their allotted time without the facilities managers needing to get involved.
At Signet Locks, we recommend using a single-sided keyless digital lock to secure sports grounds. A single-sided keypad lock will have a keypad on one side and a handle or thumb turn on the other side. That means to get access, you need to put in the code provided. But to exit again, all you have to do is turn the thumb turn or operate the handle. This will open the gate without the need to put the code in. Useful in case you need to leave the pitch quickly and it saves time when ball retrieval is needed.
Some keyless digital locks will also have a hold-back function like the Superlock BDGS or the Select Pro DGLS. This small feature will prevent the lock from latching when the gate is closed. During football games or similar, this function will save you time as the players don’t have to remember a code to get back in the game. Just activate the function and you are free to go in and out as you please (just remember to deactivate this function at night)!
Example of using a keyless digital lock at sports grounds
The team at South Wales Sports Grounds needed a suitable lock to secure an unmanned without the need to for multiple sets of keys. The search was on for a convenient but secure solution for the Star Community Hub in Tremorfa, Cardiff.
To avoid the cost and hassle of keys, the team wanted a keyless option and decided to go with the surface-fixed, single-sided digital keypad lock (DGLSW) for two of their gates. Using the same lock on both gates will make it easier for them to maintain as well!
Although the DGLSW was mainly designed as a keyless lock for wooden gates, it can be used for metals as well as seen here. As long as you don’t mind drilling through your gate.
In this case, the surface-fixed installation made it easy for the team to install. As the gates both use a large integrated shroud plate to protect the back of the lock, the DGLSW could be installed without the need for multiple sets of keys. The team did need to make a few small additions to the gates to make sure the lock was perfectly in line, but “the installation was quick and easy with clear manufacturer’s instructions able to be followed”, says Lee Gitson from South Wales Sports Grounds. “The ease of ordering and backup service ensured full confidence in the process”.
Looking for a keyless digital lock for sports grounds or leisure centre? Check out our number one recommendation here!