Hospitals need to provide a secure environment throughout their entire facility. Granting a safe environment is a job that should be taken very seriously. Restricted areas need to be monitored and secured to avoid any problems.

Hospitals are a complex environment with a busy schedule, where the high transient flow of people is the norm. So, medical facilities need to limit access to some areas and protect patients, staff, and all the people inside the premises. Violence, theft, and disturbance in a hospital can affect the well-being of patients, and potentially put people's lives in danger.

Healthcare facilities security can be efficiently addressed by an efficient Building Access system.

Using Building Access Systems For Better Security

In addition to providing quality care to patients, hospitals are committed to providing a secure environment for its patients and employees. Any medical facility needs to address a long list of concerts, such as emergency room security, pharmacy control, equipment protection, and sensitive patient information.

So, to prevent unauthorized access to restricted areas and to reduce the possibility of physical threats to their patients and staff, hospitals monitor entrances, exit, windows, and panic circuits throughout their premises.

That is where an electronic Building Access System comes in.

A Building Access System is an advanced electronic system that controls and logs all entries and exits at your facilities. It is an easy and reliable way to protect your facility and control who is allowed in determined areas.

In other words, this access system is a convenient way to be able to oversee security in multiple different locations within your facility. Managing the security of your premises can be done directly from your office, which makes the job of managers simple and frees the staff time from unnecessary reporting that can be dedicated to critical patient care.

The Building Access System system is composed of four elements:

1. User input device

   A user input device is a keypad or proxy reader that is mounted to the wall or the door itself. The proxy reader card sends codes from keypads or keycards to the entry control unit. If you can, choose proxy readers over keypads, as proxy readers can't be easily shared as a code can be.

2. Entry control unit

   The entry control unit is mounted inside of the room, directly behind the proxy card reader. An access code that is read by the proxy card reader is accepted by the entry control unit and sent to the site controller or the master station for validation. If the access is valid, the entry control unit will release the door strike.

   If a communication error happens, the entry control unit should be able to verify access through a single emergency access code. This code will only be effective if the connection between the site controller and the entry control unit is lost.

3. Site controller

   The site controller controls local access to your restricted area. This device maintains a list of personnel who are authorized to access the room. The site controller knows who can access which doors during which days and hours. It records all valid entries, attempts, and the time of each activity.

4. Master station

   A master station interfaces with site controllers and transfers updated access codes, schedules, and instructions to your system. The master allows you to watch over and control your access points from a single monitoring station. This increases overall system efficiency and reduces staff requirements.

You can also add IP cameras to send and receive data via a computer network and the Internet. Confirming that a door was actually shut and capturing video in response to an intruder alarm is only some of the benefits of having an IP camera.

Motion sensors and alarm systems are very useful as well. Motion sensors can trigger lights or alarms depending on the application, and alarm systems can alert the proper authorities in the event that something happens that needs immediate attention beyond available resources at the time.

Just make sure all these extra devices can integrate smoothly with your Building Access System.

Benefits of Using a Building Access System

Most healthcare facilities are open 24x7 and need to be accessible by the population. As a result, there are dozens, maybe even hundreds, of visitors coming in on a daily basis. Clearly, hospital security systems should comprehend advanced technology and not be the same as they were years ago (depending on physical keys, for example).

An electronic entry control system comes with a number of benefits. Some of them are:

• Electronic keys are difficult to copy

  Physical keys can be copied at any hardware store, but the amount of effort and technology necessary to copy an electronic key makes it very hard to be duplicated.

• Electronic access is easy

  You only need to distribute one proxy card to each authorized person. With a simple wave to the reader, they can access the restricted areas in the hospital. There's no need to struggle with a bunch of keys to figure out which one is supposed to open the door.

• Access history logging

  Track who accessed the area, when they entered, and when they exited. Having this information is critical when problems arise.

• Customizable access control

  You can set up rules for who has access to certain areas of your facility. It gives you the ability to set user-level rights all the way down to individual doors. Also, you can set time windows on when people are allowed to enter. This ensures that your restricted rooms can be accessed by when they should be.

• No need to be on-site to open a door

  Electronic locks can be unlocked remotely, so you can simply "buzz in" people instantly if necessary.

In a nutshell, not having to use mechanical keys, a keyless entry, the ability to monitor and record access attempts, and the added efficiency of no longer having to physically operate a locking mechanism all lead to the Building Access System becoming an essential piece of the security puzzle.

Your Next Step

The first step to giving your hospital facility the security it needs is to research your options and make a conscious choice.

Think about how much safer your facility will be - and how much simpler your job would be - if you had the right system in place to notify you and the authorities immediately when there's a problem. Imagine how much security will be improved in your hospital. With the right Building Access system tools, you can achieve a secure environment.

If that's something that you are interested in, but don't know how to get started, don't worry. Our specialists can answer your questions and help you get started designing the perfect-fit security system for your network - at no pressure.

Get in touch with us today and get started choosing the right solution.