Access Matched To Your Building
Access control gives your business a way to decide who can enter a door and when. A reception entrance, stock room and server room do not need identical permissions. We start by identifying user groups, daily movement and the doors where controlled access would solve a specific problem.
A standalone reader may suit a single low-complexity door. Networked systems can make it easier to manage permissions centrally across several entrances, with event records and scheduled access. The right choice depends on how often staff change, whether several people administer the system and what happens when network connectivity is lost.
The physical door is part of the system. Poor alignment, a weak frame or a closer that does not shut the leaf properly can defeat an otherwise suitable reader and lock. A door assessment should consider the condition of the hinges, latching, cabling path and existing emergency hardware before equipment is ordered.
From Door Schedule To Handover
Start with a door schedule. For each opening, record who uses it, the required opening hours, whether visitors need assistance and whether it forms part of an escape route. This gives your facilities contact a document to review before installation, and helps avoid assumptions about doors with different roles.
The design then sets out readers, credentials, controllers, locks and power supplies. Request-to-exit devices, emergency release and fire alarm interfaces need specific attention. Coordinate with your fire risk assessor and the people responsible for the door assembly, especially where it is a fire-resisting door.
Commissioning should demonstrate normal entry, rejected access, an open-door event and the agreed response to loss of power or communications. Emergency release and relevant fire interfaces need testing by competent people under controlled conditions. At handover, administrators should practise issuing a credential, changing its permissions and revoking a lost fob.
Safe Escape And Relevant Standards
Security must work alongside the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Access control should not leave occupants dependent on a fob to escape. The government’s office and shop fire risk guidance distinguishes control of entry from control of exit.
Relevant design references include the BS EN 60839-11 series for electronic access control. Where electrical release mechanisms interface with fire precautions, the relevant provisions of BS 7273-4 need consideration. These references do not replace the building’s fire strategy or a competent assessment of the particular door and its use.
Accessibility also belongs in the specification. Reader height, door opening forces, approach space and the needs of visitors should be reviewed with your organisation. NSI’s access control guidance references the Equality Act 2010 as well as electrical and fire protection standards, which is why a reader-only quotation leaves important questions unanswered.
Permissions, Records And Ongoing Costs
Access event records may identify individual staff and visitors, so set a clear purpose, access policy and retention period. Keep administrator accounts separate from everyday users. When a person leaves, their credential should be removed promptly and any shared administrative access reviewed by an authorised manager.
Cost depends on the number and condition of doors, cable routes, locking hardware, controller capacity and software model. Cloud licences, replacement credentials, planned servicing and any fire alarm interface work should appear separately. Ask what remains operational if a subscription expires and how records can be exported when changing provider.
If visitors need to speak to reception before a door is released, combine the design with commercial door entry. For external vehicle entrances, automatic gate safety needs a separate assessment. Share your site layout and existing door list when requesting a proposal so the different interfaces can be considered together.
Your Questions Answered
What Happens If An Access Fob Is Lost?
A lost access fob should be disabled by an authorised administrator as soon as it is reported. A replacement can then receive the permissions appropriate to that person. Ask for this workflow to be demonstrated at handover, including how staff identify the correct credential without deleting access for other users.
Will Access Control Work During A Power Failure?
Access control behaviour during a power failure depends on the lock, power supply, backup arrangements and escape strategy. Some doors must release while others may remain secure from outside with safe mechanical exit. The proposal should state the behaviour of each door and include a controlled test before acceptance.