3 Benefits of Turnstiles

You’ve gone through a turnstile dozens of times in your life without really thinking about it. Maybe you were entering a football game, an amusement park, or an airport. Have you ever stopped to think about why the turnstile is so important?

Turnstiles do so much more than let people into an event. Here are three benefits turnstiles provide and why you should choose them for your business application.

1. They Save You Money

Whether patrons go through the turnstile to see a concert or to take a train, turnstiles can ensure they have paid before entering. Turnstiles with a ticket scanner require patrons to scan their tickets before they can enter.

Turnstiles also help you save money because you won’t have to hire as many people. Think how much it would cost to hire dozens of ticket takers and security guards and how much you could save by installing a turnstile instead. Many modern turnstiles even allow for remote monitoring through the web.

2. They Monitor Customer Traffic

With a normal door or entrance, you may never know how many patrons have entered. Turnstiles, however, allow only one patron in at a time-and they count how many times people have accessed them.

This is especially important for places like amusement parks, fairs, and sporting arenas. You know exactly how many people have entered so you know it doesn’t get overcrowded.

With access control at your turnstile, you’ll know exactly who has entered and when. At a business, turnstiles can help you keep track of your employees and their work hours. On a school campus, turnstiles allow you to keep track of a student’s whereabouts to ensure he or she is attending class.

3. They Increase Security

The first turnstiles were used on farms to allow people to enter and exit while keeping animals from escaping. Today, turnstiles are used to keep out people who shouldn’t be there. For example, you might install a controlled access machine with your turnstile so that only people with access cards can enter.

With these turnstiles, it’s easier to keep track of exactly who is entering and when. The addition of security cameras or security guards can also help you monitor people’s comings and goings. And during non-business hours, you can lock your turnstile so no one can enter. This protects your property from theft and vandalism.

The most secure type of turnstile is the full-height turnstile. This turnstile is about seven feet high, so it prevents people from jumping over the turnstile to enter. One type of full-height turnstile, the High Entrance/Exit Turnstile (HEET), rotates in both directions, allowing people to both enter and exit. Another type of full-height turnstile, Exit-Only, allows customers to exit but not enter. If you’re worried about intruders entering through the exit rather than the main entrance, install an Exit-Only turnstile to keep your facility safe.

Even if people are able to jump over the turnstile, turnstiles can still prevent intruders. Criminals are more likely to choose the easiest way to break in. A turnstile surrounded by security or crowds of people is not the easiest way to enter.

Turnstiles were first used commercially in the first Piggly Wiggly store in 1917. Today, there are thousands of turnstiles used for dozens of different applications.

Whether you’re monitoring access to a park, an office building, a concert stadium, or a sporting arena, turnstiles are a great choice. Talk to the security experts at Mills Fence about installing a turnstile for your business.