Creating a safe and child-friendly environment is important for your school. However, doing so can be somewhat challenging. From busy canteens to crowded corridors, each area must strike a balance between safety, accessibility, and durability.
Facility managers today are considering options that offer greater benefits and fewer risks, allowing everyone on the premises to move around stress-free. Two popular choices include traditional doors and PVC strip curtains. If you're contemplating which to select for which space, here's more information on the same.
Setting Up PVC Strip Curtains In Schools
PVC curtains are flexible plastic strips suspended from a railing attached to the top of a doorway frame. These are commonly used in commercial kitchens, warehouses, and other industrial areas to maintain temperature and reduce contamination. Today, they're also gaining popularity in educational environments, as they offer easy movement, improved airflow, quick installation, and low maintenance.
These curtains are soft, flexible, and particularly practical for high-traffic areas such as sports centres or dining halls. But despite their versatility, they can fall short in several circumstances.
Kids with special needs can find them confusing or intimidating. They can also increase the risk of collisions, as they are less visible due to their material. In areas where safety is non-negotiable, PVC can introduce challenges with who enters or exits the space. They also cannot offer robust security and acoustic privacy like traditional doors.
Installing Traditional Wooden Or Metal Doors
Traditional wooden and metal doors are the norm, regardless of the space in which they're installed. They can offer much-needed strength, familiarity, and performance when you're looking to safeguard a space. Traditional doors offer better noise containment, controlled access, and strong fire safety compliance. Although these are more durable, they can also present unique challenges, such as finger entrapment injuries.
However, taking proper precautions, such as installing high-quality door finger guards, can help prevent painful and serious injuries. In fact, these devices are now considered an essential part of school safety planning.
PVC strip curtains might not pose a hinge-side entrapment hazard, as there's no rigid mechanical movement. But they also cannot replace the compliance, safety, and structure that standard hinged doors can offer.
When you combine traditional doors with necessary safeguarding measures, they can turn every vulnerable gap into a fully protected feature. This offers continuous protection and significantly reduces door-related risks, making it a more responsible choice for spaces such as schools, nurseries, and other educational facilities.
Choosing The Right Solution For Your Space
If you're choosing between PVC strip curtains and traditional doors, we suggest not finalising on just one option for the entire facility. Identify the needs of each area in your school and make necessary arrangements accordingly.
You can install PVC strip curtains in high-traffic, hands-free areas, such as canteens, laboratories, and sports halls. However, traditional doors with durable finger guards are necessary for classrooms, corridors, nurseries, and entry and exit points, among other areas. A blended approach is what you need for a safe and practical layout.
To Conclude
PVC strip curtains and traditional doors have their place in modern facilities, and the safest environment is the one where each doorway is handled individually, depending on its traffic pattern, risk level, and the age of the people accessing it. Therefore, when planning upgrades, get in touch with experts to help you with tailored protective solutions for your specific school environment.