ACCESS CONTROL

Access control is nothing mysterious. It is simply controlling access to certain parts of a building or area. Folks have been using various forms of access control for thousands of years and will always continue to do so. Access control helps control crowd flow as well as act as a security and safety enhancement. Remember that last time you checked into a hotel. You didn’t go into the hotel manager’s office and log yourself in on his or her computer! No; instead you waited your turn inside the check-in line out in the lobby. In fact, that line probably had a check-in sign and a roped off area for you to stand in.

Remember the last time you visited your local jeweler? Did you rummage through the store safe looking for precious gems? Did you get behind the glass cases and open them up to get a better look at some rings or watches? Of course you didn’t. You stayed in the customer area and only the sales staff or the management ventured into those previously mentioned zones. Why? Because you knew better and also because there were signs, locks, doors, and other barriers that prevented you from doing so.

Access control works!

Here at Mequon Locksmith, we know access control works. Why? Because our many clients have told us so! We also know from numerous customers, case studies, and examples, not only here in Mequon, WI but all over the world – access control is a much needed and highly successful way of limiting access to key areas of a building or property.

Access control is everywhere!

Now that you are learning what access control is, you’ll start noticing it everywhere; indeed, it is everywhere! When you go to a sports event, you sit in certain seats that correspond with your purchased ticket. Do you go hang out with the team manager in his office? He would probably call security if you tried! Do you go and congratulate the winning team in the locker room after the game? Access is certainly limited there!

Remember that nice dinner you and your spouse went to last night? Same situation; different location! You sat at the booth or table that the waiter led you to. You didn’t go visit the chef in the kitchen and inspect the walk-in cooler or walk behind the register area and count the cash receipts. Not only are those actions improper but you were also prevented by locks, doors, signs, gates, counters, bars and alarms. By now you have a pretty good idea what access control is and how society uses it to maintain order and better security.

You can find access control all over town and in every town! You see it in grocery stores, hotels, museums, restaurants, movie theaters, apartment buildings, office rentals, nursing homes, sports arenas, retail shops, amusement parks, banks, schools, warehouses, resorts, cruise ships, ski lodges and even military boot camps! These places and many more just like them make use of access control methods involving signs, alarms, locks, gates, security doors, badges, swipe cards, key codes, combinations, scanners, video surveillance, retina scanners, panic bars, deadbolts, peepholes, intercom, loudspeakers, CCTV and lots more!

Locks

Locks are instrumental in access control systems. They are one sure-fire method of keeping unauthorized persons out of an area. You see this in stores, government offices, medical facilities and entertainment locations. You also see locks in residential settings where homes, condos and housing units are secured for safety and privacy. All kinds of locks can be used for access control purposes including padlocks, deadlocks, cam locks, mortise locks and cylinder locks.

Badges and swipe cards

These are used more and more in both commercial and residential settings. Call centers and banks use badges to grant access to staff members and to verify employment and rank. You see badges in use in military operations, custodial staff, management and visitors. From VIP status to charity volunteers, badges and swipe cards are a strong and useful form of access control.

Video surveillance and CCTV

While these tools are not necessarily access control in and of themselves, they do assist in verifying identity when other forms of access control are used. For instance, when a badge is swiped on a keypad, the video backup makes a record of the entry for recordkeeping as well as to prove that the badge holder was in fact the person it represented and not someone who found the key card and simply used it fraudulently.

Panic bars and exit devices

One of the best forms of crowd flow and access is the use of panic bars. These are also known as push bars as that is how you operate them; by pushing. We’ve all seen and used them. Panic bars make exiting a building easier, faster and safer. This is because you simply push on the horizontal bar on the exit door. It is a form of access control as this door is only used as an exit, not an entrance. There is no door knob on the other side of a panic bar installed door. This way, persons leaving the location simply push on the bar, and the door unlocks, and opens, letting exit traffic out quickly and without having to hassle with incoming persons coming from the other direction. You see these panic bars in movie theaters, restaurants, hospitals, mall shops, sporting events, government offices and even ice cream shops gas stations. If a fire, armed combatant, or other disaster necessitates evacuation, it will proceed much faster, safer and orderly if panic bars are involved.

Still more access control

Access control is fascinating and if you’d like to learn more we encourage you to call a local, full-service locksmith shop. Most offer free price quotes, free consultations and 24-hour emergency help, if needed. Be sure and ask about their recommendations for access control and include the above subjects. You can also ask about Key Fobs, Remote Access, Automated Locking Systems, One Button Lockdown, Proxi Cards, Electric Strikes and other useful form of access control.