At a Glance: A New Emphasis for Access Control and Entrance Security
With the novel coronavirus continuing its global reign of terror, we’re seeing firsthand how little we know about the virus. Even today, we’re still learning about the virus and the potential new complications it may manifest beyond the COVID-19 illness. While the world learns more about coronavirus and its deadly potential, we too in the access control are learning and adapting to these times of change. For instance, we are noticing a new emphasis on prevention in various customer plans and submittals focusing on how to keep pathogenic threats out.
To account for these fundamental changes, players in the access control and entrance security industry are busy developing new prevention-focused products and accessories. New product development will explore the possibility of integrating hand sanitizing units, temperature sensors, facial recognition software, and more as players in the access control industry learn to adapt to our new pandemic–focused world. After all, access control and entrance security are a facility’s front line when dealing with a viral outbreak, so having a preventative focus on the access control front may be key to fighting the next outbreak.
How Access Control Can Help Prevent Future Outbreaks
As we’ve covered in a previous post, access control and preventing a viral outbreak go hand in hand. In fact, the acts of social distancing and self quarantining are truly just simple forms of access control. Put simply, if you don’t allow the sick or infected into your facility, you have a much higher chance of containing an outbreak. This premise alone has fundamentally shifted how companies approach their access control efforts.
To truly prepare for the next potential viral outbreak, it would be best to ensure that physical access control systems like turnstiles or ADA gates are in place and functioning at every entrance. These physical access control devices primarily act as a deterrent for unauthorized entrants. They even make authorized entrants think twice about whether they feel healthy enough to enter your facility and start their day’s work.
Having a comprehensive access control system helps in other ways as well. For instance, having proper credential readers (card readers, biometric scanners, etc.) integrated throughout your access control system makes contact tracking much easier; you can track who accessed which parts of your facility, when they did, and even how long they stayed. Further, there are new products bubbling up as we speak in the industry that are purpose-built for such outbreak situations. Read on to find out more about these new product developments.
New Turnstile and Gate Accessories Take Shape
Players in the access control industry have noticed the increased emphasis on virus prevention and spread management. As a result, new products have begun taking shape specifically aimed at virus spread prevention and contact tracking. And we at Hayward Turnstiles think this is a great thing. For over 10 years, we have taken pride in providing access control and security solutions for campuses, amusement venues, stadiums, office buildings, and more that work to minimize physical threats like unauthorized entrants. Now, we find ourselves gearing up to provide the same security and assurance against microscopic threats as well.
We couldn’t be happier to see how the access control industry has responded to COVID-19 and potential future threats. New products and accessories are surfacing almost daily like temperature sensors, hand sanitizer dispenser units, and more. Read on to learn more about a couple of these new product developments that excite us most and that we think will benefit you the most too.
Integrable Hand Sanitizing Dispensers
With the use of hand sanitizer becoming more prevalent now and into the near future, it’s only natural to start seeing hand sanitizer integrated with turnstiles. Access control system providers have been implementing these units for years in the food processing industry, but recent events have sparked motivation to use these types of units in most other industries as well.
These hand sanitizer units usually sit atop a turnstile or security gate. They integrate directly with the internal mechanism of a turnstile or gate to only unlock and allow entry when a person successfully uses the hand sanitizer dispensers. Hand sanitizers are a great way to practice hygiene and halt pathogens at the front door. Please fill out the contact form at the bottom of this article if you would like to learn more about hand sanitizer access control possibilities; you will be connected with one of our Hayward Turnstiles access control specialists.
Integrable Temperature Sensors
Running a fever is one of the tell-tale signs of possible COVID-19 contraction. Beyond COVID-19, it is generally understood that if you run a fever, you’re likely sick and should not be out and about. Understanding this, access control manufacturers have begun developing temperature sensor devices that integrate with various access control turnstiles and security gates. These revolutionary devices communicate directly with a turnstile or gate’s locking mechanism to only unlock when a potential entrant has a body temperature deemed safe (configured on a case-by-case basis).
Please contact one of our access control specialists or fill out the form below to learn more about temperature sensing capabilities and how they may help you prevent future viral outbreaks in your facilities.
What Does This All Mean for You?
For any building manager, business owner, or any other person managing a facility with large amounts of people traffic, this should be great news. The access control industry is swiftly adapting to changing priorities and rapidly developing new products to satisfy these priorities. Now is the time to capitalize on these new product developments for the safety of your patrons/employees and for your own peace of mind.
Access control may just be the key to halting the spread of the next pandemic. We take great pride in being part of the solution instead of perpetuating the problem, so please feel free to fill out the contact form below to learn more about how you can better prepare yourself and promote a healthy, pathogen-free environment in your facilities.
