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home :: system overview :: the future of access control in commercial buildings
SYSTEM OVERVIEW
THE FUTURE OF ACCESS CONTROL IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
The barriers secured under the access control plan described above are also used for egress in emergencies.
The first challenge is to secure the barrier but still permit egress when needed.
The Life Safety Handbook from NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) provides for egress considerations from all controlled doors.
The building owner must ensure that the locking devices selected for the controlled doors meet national and local requirements.
However, this is a “lock” consideration and rarely affects the selection of access control devices.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT REGULATIONS
The second challenge includes other regulations that may be more restrictive than NFPA regulations.
These additional rules for gaining access and egress through a controlled portal are included on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The ADA requirements describe certain limitations on the use of card readers and other control devices as they relate to individuals with mobility impairments.
One of the most frequently overlooked ADA requirements refers to the location of access control devices.
A rule of thumb is to require the placement of all devices used for gaining access to a controlled area be placed no higher than door handle height to comply with ADA regulations.
Review all ADA requirements to insure that system design meets these guidelines.
HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESS CONTROL
In specialty markets such as healthcare institutions, there are other requirements that stipulate how certain assets should be protected.
A complete listing of these requirements can be found in publications from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
JCAHO provides a variety of resources as reference tools on securing healthcare information and the responsibilities for healthcare providers in serving patients and staff.
Other regulations for health care institutions can be found in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Although this act tends to focus more on information security, there are applications for physical security requirements that provide control measures to data terminals, system hardware and other information-related assets. When dealing in a healthcare environment include a review of these regulations in the system design step.
Other regulations for health care institutions can be found in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Although this act tends to focus more on information security, there are applications for physical security requirements that provide control measures to data terminals, system hardware and other information-related assets. When dealing in a healthcare environment include a review of these regulations in the system design step.
THE FUTURE OF ACCESS CONTROL TECHNOLOGY
The future of access control is in technology. Within the past twenty years, the products used for credential identification and locking barriers have changed significantly.
Credential identification began with very simply punch hold cards and has now grown to biometric identification where the credential is the “person”.
Locking systems, while remaining essentially the same in basic nature can now do a variety of sophisticated functions, including monitoring the doors that they are locking and reporting attempts at forced entry to the access control system.
The most likely path for both sets of devices, but especially access control, is greater capabilities at lower prices. Biometric readers, once a rare addition to high security applications has now become commonplace and are routinely specified in typical medium security environments.
The most likely path for both sets of devices, but especially access control, is greater capabilities at lower prices. Biometric readers, once a rare addition to high security applications has now become commonplace and are routinely specified in typical medium security environments.
SYSTEMS INTEGRATION IN ACCESS CONTROL
Systems integration too is becoming more elaborate and access control is being interwoven into other applications.
The distinction between an access control system; alarm monitoring system, CCTV control system and other security applications is blurring.
These individual component groups are gradually uniting as manufacturers try to capture greater market share with increased feature capabilities.
The astute building owner will be mindful of “open architecture” and strive to utilize systems that have potential for future upgrades.
Companies too are becoming more integrated. Many of the larger building management suppliers are adding a collection of products and services to meet all future building needs, including security.
The selection of the right supplier and product will be the key to a successful installation and a qualified professional can provide an invaluable service in this decision process.
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