Bank teller window glass provides protection for financial institutions. Banks have long been a popular target for potential armed robberies. The large amount of cash they have on hand naturally makes them attractive for those who are looking for a quick payday. Unfortunately, these armed robberies do not just lead to a loss of actual money – they can also create an unsafe environment for bank employees as well as other customers.
To prevent major problems and keep everyone in your financial institution safe, physical security measures can be a major help. Bank teller window glass (also known as a bandit barrier) is one potential solution that can help people feel more at ease, while also providing actual physical protection from ballistics or other safety threats and sometimes even discourage a crime from happening in the first place.
If you’re in charge of building security for a bank or financial institution, here are some of the main points you should keep in mind when considering bank teller window glass installation.
Bank Teller Window Glass Provides Physical Protection
Bank teller window glass (or bandit barriers) are designed to protect the area behind the counter at a bank from ballistics threats on the other side. The barrier can be made from bullet resistant glazing such as polycarbonates and acrylics. These materials are much easier to custom fabricate and finish as opposed to glass products and still provide ballistic protection meeting UL752 levels 1-3 by absorbing the energy at impact, stopping the bullet from penetrating and protecting from any type of spall to the safe side..
It’s important to note that no glazing is truly “bullet proof.” All materials will eventually give or deteriorate when exposed to enough ballistic impact over time. However, unlike standard glass, these materials should stay intact for the most part and not completely shatter even if they are exposed to more ballistic impact than they can ultimately withstand. This means that these barriers can significantly slow down robbers and help facilities and employees avoid exposure to harmful debris or other safety hazards.
They Deter Robberies
In addition to minimizing damage from robberies when they do occur, adding security glass around your countertop systems can make those violent crimes less likely to take place altogether. The idea is that if potential robbers know there is bullet resistant glass on site, or even if they see any kind of a barrier between the customer area and the employees, they may be less likely to choose your location as a target or attempt any act of violence or theft.
Many robberies are crimes of opportunity, and criminals don’t want to be delayed by trying to get past a significant barrier that cannot simply be shattered by ballistic rounds. So if they are on the lookout for an easy target, they may be likely to rethink trying anything at a bank or financial institution that has protective glass in place in front of the tellers and employees.
Bank Teller Counterline Makes Employees Feel More Secure
The knowledge that protective glass is in place can help bank tellers and other employees feel a bit safer at work. There may still be a small chance of robbers attempting something at your location. But the protection offered by these systems makes it much more likely that team members will be safe even if a threat does occur.
Of course, the biggest part of this is simply allowing your team to feel better about coming into work each day. But as a business, keeping team members safe and happy also offers tangible benefits. Employees are likely to have higher morale when they feel secure at work, making them more productive, friendly when interacting with customers, and less likely to seek employment elsewhere. This can help financial institutions reduce turnover, and thus costs related to hiring and training new team members.
Additionally, since the presence of protective glass can help to deter robberies from occurring in the first place, it can also improve general safety conditions for customers and visitors at your location. Even though they aren’t behind the glass, it provides an atmosphere that looks and feels secure, and can reduce incidents that might impact people’s perception of a particular bank or credit union.
Bank Teller Window Glass Still Allows for Easy Communication
Of course, all of this protection is only going to be useful if bank tellers and employees can still easily communicate and interact with customers on the other side of the counter. Luckily, the glazing materials used to construct bank teller window glass offer plenty of clarity so employees and customers can easily see who they’re interacting with. These systems can also include speakers or voice transmission openings so it’s easy to communicate verbally while staying safe. And there are even extras like pass-through trays and drawers available to easily facilitate the transfer of funds, bank cards, or other necessary items without compromising security.
This allows employees to easily and seamlessly do their job, while also offering a pleasant and simple experience for customers. Overall, the idea behind bank teller window glass is to provide protection and security to everyone inside your facility without significantly impacting the experience for employees or customers in any negative way.
If you’re interested in adding bank teller window glass to your financial institution, Insulgard can help. We can help you choose the right materials for your needs, customize solutions to your facility, and then arrange installation to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible.
We’re equipped to offer a variety of materials and solutions to fit a variety of facilities and protection standards, including those for bullet resistant systems and storm shelters. Since our products are tested to meet rigorous standards from nationally recognized entities like UL and FEMA, you can always trust that they’ll provide a high, consistent level of protection and security. Contact us today to discuss your bank’s security needs and we’ll start designing the perfect solution for you.
