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3. High security padlocks for Scottish Water

With over five million customers, Scottish Water is the fourth largest water services provider in the UK. The magnitude of its operations is staggering - pumping over 2.5 billion litres of water through 46,000 kilometres of pipes to 2.2 million households every day. It also manages around 2,200 water treatment works as well as numerous pumping stations and reservoirs.

The sheer scale of the business is something Paul Mitchell, Scottish Water's Chief Security Advisor, is well aware of. "Security is important for Scottish Water because we're providing a key service to millions of customers. We have to guard against anything that would impede that service, which is challenging because of the type and geographic spread of our sites."

The upgrade programme that harmonised security across the company specified ABLOY padlocks that met Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) standards. The ABLOY PL340 padlock employs robust and resilient materials that can withstand extreme environmental conditions and provide maximum resistance against attack.

"We've got a lot of doors and hatches to protect," Paul notes. "These range from doors on pumping stations to fence gates surrounding treatment plants. Many of these sites experience mindless acts of vandalism, extreme climatic changes or high levels of salt in the air. We've got to match the various risks with effective security measures that can withstand these conditions, and the PL340 meets all our requirements."

Is this the largest gate in the world? A gate for the new Airbus A380 double-decker passenger jet has got to be big.

"During the tender
stage your company were forthcoming in providing our team with all the necessary information and on time. Requests for clarification were met with a 'can do' attitude and turned round very quickly." Find out more...