Access control is essential for manufacturing sites to protect people and assets. An access control system can be installed to match the initial requirements and can then be expanded in stages into a large integrated network as necessary to meet the changing needs of the site.
Why is access control required?
Manufacturing sites have dynamic, continuously changing environments with a constant flow of finished goods, materials and people. This creates many opportunities for theft, and poses many health and safety risks that need to be managed.
Access control systems are all designed to allow access only to people with the necessary authority to ensure that people and assets are protected.
How can access control be implemented?
Standalone Systems
If the site is relatively small and you simply need to allow access only to people with the necessary authority to specific areas of the site, you can fit standalone access control systems to one or more doors and issue pass cards to authorised staff members. Although each door will be protected by a separate access control system, it is possible to program individual pass cards to allow access through two or more doors as necessary. A limitation of standalone access control systems is that they can’t provide the additional real-time features that a PC-based system can provide, such as evacuation mustering and personnel tracking. However, it is usually possible to upgrade a standalone system to a networked PC-based system at a later date.
The advantages of using standalone access control over a lock and key system are:
- Lost pass cards can be disabled without a need to replace the locking system.
- A single pass card can be programmed to access several areas on a per user basis.
- Pass cards can’t be easily copied.
Networked PC-Based System
If you invest in a PC-based access control system, you open up the opportunity to add many additional functions to the basic door control features provided by a standalone system. Networking the system involves connecting each door controller to a standard computer network access point and connecting the host PC to the same network.
The additional benefits of using a PC-based access control system on a manufacturing site are:
- If all personnel have pass cards and their use is strictly controlled, an evacuation mustering system can be incorporated.
- A time and attendance system can be provided.
- If all areas of the site are protected by access control, the reporting of an incident is made easier by providing evidence of who was in the area at the time of the incidence.
- A visitor management system can be provided by the system by issuing temporary, limited access cards to visitors.
- The system can monitor the numbers of specific categories of staff present within a controlled area to ensure that the necessary quota of key staff members such as safety officers is maintained within the area. It can achieve this by raising an alarm whenever the number of key staff members falls below the required minimum level.
- Vehicular access to the site and the use of the parking facilities can be managed by the same system.
- A staff counting and monitoring system can prevent the number of personnel within a controlled area from exceeding a prescribed safety limit by refusing entry to further personnel whenever the limit has been reached.
These are just a few of the ways access control systems can be implemented for manufacturing sites. Please contact our sales team if you have any requirements that haven’t been covered here.