DEER PARK, Texas – Boon Edam has installed seven of its Swinglane 900 turnstiles at the Shell Chemical LP refinery, located here, to improve access control between an administrative building and the production facility.
The decision to install Boon Edam entrances was a joint one between Shell’s real estate group and corporate security. “We have four Swinglanes at our front entrance, where employees and visitors arrive, and three at the back entrance, controlling access to the protected area where production goes on,” says John Logan, a security specialist at the refinery.
The facility is regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. MTSA security regulations focus on those sectors of the maritime industry that have a higher risk of involvement in a transportation security incident.
“Under MTSA, we have to be able to account for who is in the production area, so we need close control of traffic between the administrative building and the plant,” says Logan.
The Shell facility operates at “continuous process” production, so personnel are moving between the two buildings around the clock each day. A refinery has existed at this site since the 1920s. When the turnstiles were installed, Shell did a modest amount of education and explanation for the new entrance protocol, and the transition was rather smooth. The Boon Edam turnstiles manage access for approximately 1,600 employees and 1,200 contractors per day.
The Swinglane 900 uses a single, swinging panel of glass to control the flow of authorized users. “If there is a tailgating incident,” explains Logan, “we’re on top of it within seconds because the turnstiles will alarm and both sets of entrances are constantly monitored for those going in and going out. Our experience has been that any tailgating where we’ve had to intervene have been mistakes, no ill intent.”
