As the UK slowly works its way out of lockdown from the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are busily making themselves COVID-19 secure in line with government guidelines. Organisations, in all sectors, are doing everything they can to make the return of staff, customers and visitors as safe as possible.
A key component that can aid that is Site Access Control, and should be forming part of return to work policies.
A lot of premises, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, will already have been using some form of access control for site security. This may have been Keypads, Keyfobs, or Biometric methods. All of these will have resulted in multiple points of contact and touchpoints, including when pulling or pushing the door open.
Indeed, current UK Government COVID-19 secure guidelines have suggested the disabling of keypad entry systems to stop these frequent and unavoidable contact points.
However, we know that site security is still a fundamental requirement for many organisations, to protect staff, customers, and stock.
The solution? A completely contactless access control system
How Contactless Access Control Works
- Employees can gain access with a contactless keyfob assigned to them
- Upon a successful registration, the system will trigger the lock to release. Combined with an automatic door openeer door will also open immediately, with no contact required
- On exit, or coming back through the door, you have two options
- Either, have another contactless reader for the employee to swipe their fob
- or a contactless push to exit button. Simply wave your hand near the reader and the door will open for you.
Toilets/Doors not requiring security
For organisations who don’t necessarily need the locking of doors – This solution can be applied to any internal door that would usually require someone to touch it to open. Rather than moving around opening doors simply wave your hand at the reader and the door will open for you. A common example would be a toilet door. After washing your hands, you are usually left with no alternative than to then open the door manually to exit.
Contactless Access Control Benefits
- No more multiple contacts with keypads. With the additional benefit that you no longer need to keep changing codes
- Automatic verified door opening meaning no more pushing or pulling of door handles, or pushing doors open with shoulders or feet to get through
- You have full control of managing who can access which area and at what time. Minimise contact and help social distancing by restricting staff to specific areas.
- Control how many can get into a particular area. Small confined rooms – set limits on how many can be in at any one time and the reader will prevent anyone else entering until someone has exited.
- Contact Tracing reporting. Swiftly report and filter which other employees have accessed a particular area at a particular time.
