No one likes to think about emergency situations happening – but they can and they do. In a workplace you could have anything from a fire to a robbery or even a bomb threat, so you need to have a way to get everyone out of the building quickly and safely – as well as not letting anyone in who isn’t meant to be there! This is exactly what access control systems are made for. But access control isn’t just about letting people in. While it might seem a bit counterintuitive, here are a few reasons why access control can help during an emergency evacuation.
Controlled Exits
Access control systems can be designed to automatically unlock certain doors during an emergency situation. You can choose whether it unlocks specific doors in the building or all of them, and you can update this at any point to change the doors. Or, you can program it to unlock all doors in the building. This allows people to get out of the building quickly without having to search for keys, remember codes or fumble with locks. It also means that emergency services can be given quick access to the building if they need it. Once the emergency situation has been addressed, the system can be reset and normal access control can be resumed.
Monitoring Occupant Location
Access control doesn’t just allow you to control who can go through what door – it also means you can monitor where everyone is at any one time. You can do this by tracking employee of visitor access points. Access control systems can provide you with real-time data on who’s inside the building and where they are. In an emergency situation, this makes it easy to figure out if anyone is still inside the building, allowing emergency responders to identify and locate them in the building if they need assistance.
Evacuation Route Management
The last thing you want in an emergency is lots of people panicking and running around, leaving via different exits and generally causing chaos. It means you can’t track who is still in the building, where everyone is and if anyone is hurt. Access control systems can be programmed to direct people to specific exit routes based on where they are in the building, either with signage or by strategically closing and opening doors. This can help you to minimise confusion and make sure there’s an efficient evacuation flow.
Unauthorized Access Prevention
The main purpose of access control systems is to prevent unauthorized people from accessing the building. This significantly reduces the chances of outside factors causing the emergency to begin with (which is always good), but it also means that people won’t be able to get into the building, or restricted areas of the building, causing further disruption or endangering other people in the process.
Integration with Alarm Systems
As the cherry on top, access control systems can be seamlessly integrated with fire alarms of other emergency systems. Not only does this mean that emergency services can be automatically alerted if there is a problem but it means that evacuation procedures can be triggered automatically if an emergency situation occurs. This saves a lot of time, which can mean saving money on damages and even lives, depending on the situation.
Just Remember…
If you’re installing access control in your business premises, there are some things you need to do to ensure everyone is safe in case of emergency. First, you need to make sure that emergency exits, access points and routes are all clearly marked. Quick identification of clear and safe routes is critical in an emergency or during an evacuation, so you need clear signage at regular intervals. On top of this, you should be regularly training employees on how to use the access control systems during emergencies, what the best routes are and effective evacuation procedures, as well as running drills, so that everyone can get out safely. Finally, you should ensure that your access control system is regularly maintained and tested to make sure they function properly in such critical situations.
At Securifix we supply and fit a wide range of access control systems, bespoke configured to meet your needs. This can include coded entry of magswipe, biometrics and iris recognition, or even proximity readers using tokens or fobs. We specialise in reviewing and analysing your current systems and premises, identifying any weaknesses and making sure you’re completely covered. If you’d like to know more, or to review your current system, just get in touch with the team today to speak to one of our experts.
