Access Control (Kansas City and Card Access)

Access control enables the restriction of personnel access to specified areas. It also creates a record of movement into and out of such areas for later analysis. The use of Common Access Cards (CAC), proximity cards, Smart Cards and Biometric are typical methods of controlling this access. Access systems are also usually integrated into surveillance, intercom, and other building automation systems. Integrating into fire systems enables you to determine presence of staff near any fires detected, easing the fire and evacuation procedures for your building.

Access control isan everyday phenomenon. From your car door locks which are increasingly sophisticated through to the simple door locks and deadbolts at home. Whereas a key is used in most home door locks, these access controls are more sophisticated and controlled by computer, usually linked to the company’s systems such as HR, determining who has access to what. With the increasing costs of research and development and creating other company intellectual property, and the juxtaposition of the ease of carrying vast amounts of data on increasingly small devices such as thumb drives, the need to keep the wrong people away from these sources of value is becoming more necessary. Prevention and keeping records of the exact comings and goings reduces the risk of theft of this nature.

So how is access to these areas physically managed? In Kansas City the commonest approach to access control is through the use of a magnetic lock. This is an electro-magnetic system attached to the inside of the door frame that when fed with power creates a magnetic seal, usually to a steel plate on the door; being inside the doorframe removes the possibility of tampering from the outside. The strength of such seals is variable and usually between 600 and 1200 lbs. Emergency exit buttons and PIR systems detect people approaching the door from the inside and allows easy exit. In an emergency situation, power to these locks can be cut allowing access for emergency services as well as rapid evacuation of employees.

A frequent alternative to the magnetic lock is to use the existing locking system. Theelectric strike replaces the fixed strike inserted into the door frame. The electrical release of this strike enables access to be granted by the access control system put in place. As a result the person can still exit the secured area as easily as before by turning a handle or unlocking using a key. This is the simplest mechanism for most situations except with glass double doors which, of course, do not have a strike in the first place.

Now the security locks are in place, how do you manage access? The access control system needs to be versatile, giving the user all options applicable to their needs. Taking into account annual leave of individuals, as well as State and National public holidays, it may restrict or prevent access during these times, depending on how the business functions – this facility needs to be able to be overridden by management when necessary. Hours of business are also accounted for; perhaps you might want the lobby doors need to be left unlocked during office hours and specific access implemented out of hours, giving cleaning crews and other work shifts access to their needed area, while excluding others.