Combine the Convenience of Touchless Entrances with Secure Access

By Randy Montelius

We’ve been seeing contactless solutions in many aspects of our lives for years: automatic faucets, soap dispensers, and hand dryers; sample-dispensing machines at grocery stores; wireless presentation systems; and contactless payment at cash registers.

Room automation can even sync with room scheduling solutions to turn on lights, lower shades, adjust HVAC, and turn on AV equipment for meetings—all without the users having to touch any device or control.

Touchless technology is also being expanded to include users’ smartphones. While you may have to touch your own device to do something—gain access to a building, turn lights on and off, or unlock a door—using your own device means you won’t have to touch something that hundreds of other people have recently used.

For decades, we’ve also seen touchless entrances being put to work in commercial buildings. The most obvious examples are automatic doors activated by hand-wave technology, the push of a button, or sensors that detect presence.

These simple actions automatically open doors for shoppers pushing shopping carts, airline passengers pulling wheeled luggage behind them, patients who want fast access into an ER, or clinicians who need to enter a surgical room after scrubbing in.

While automatic entrances like these are helpful for convenience and sanitation, ADA guidelines state that any automatic swinging or sliding door must remain open for at least 10 seconds. While that allows plenty of time to move safely through the entrance, it also allows time for unauthorized users to enter a building behind you while the entrance remains open. This creates security issues in buildings that need to manage and control pedestrian traffic flow, such as schools, multifamily housing, government facilities, or even offices.

By combining touchless entrances with some form of access control—such as access cards, hand-gesture technology, Bluetooth readers, or a combination of these technologies—you can make automatic entrances part of your physical security plan.

Entrances like optical barrier turnstiles, security revolving doors, and mantrap portals can combine touchless technology and access control to protect against intrusion while also letting the right people inside. They also offer a hands-free experience to promote health, reduce the spread of germs, and maintain hygiene, as well as support universal access for people with mobility issues.

In addition, credential readers—in whatever form they take—can help put a few more seconds of space between each person who enters the building. This helps reduce unnecessary gathering and naturally encourages social distancing.

CEC is proud to partner with Boon Edam, HID Global and Lenel on top-notch security solutions.

Technologies:

Fire and Security