Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
17th April 2024 Issue no. 701
Your industry news - first
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5 ways access control improves a healthcare facility
Healthcare institutions work around the clock to look after people at their most vulnerable. It's vital that patients, visitors, and staff feel safe and secure at all times. Robust and reliable access control systems provide the peace of mind that lets medical professionals do their best work.
1. Automatically limit access to certain areas
In hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings, it’s vitally important that the general public cannot freely access all parts of the building. A comprehensive access control system ensures that only authorised members of staff can enter restricted areas. For patients, that means better privacy, better security, and better hygiene. For staff, it means that supplies, equipment, and vulnerable patients can be better protected. By setting up a series of access levels, different staff members can be granted access to different areas depending on their role, department, seniority, or any other factor.
2. Better hygiene practices at doors and entrances
Healthcare facilities need robust hygiene protocols throughout the building, to reduce contamination and cross-infection. Doors and entryways can sometimes be overlooked in these protocols. But think about it – how many times a day could staff, patients, and visitors push or pull a door open in a public area in a hospital? Access control solutions that utilise infrared technology and automatic door openers can eliminate the need for physical contact with the doorway, maintaining robust hygiene.
3. Make it easier for less mobile people to get around
By the nature of healthcare facilities, there are likely to be wheelchair users, disabled people, and people who are less mobile in the building. An automatic door access solution makes it significantly easier for those individuals to get around the building and helps to keep traffic moving. When used with all-active trigger devices or automatic sensors, an automatic door solution helps to give less mobile people the independence to get around by themselves.
4. Establish simple clean-room environments
Some parts of a hospital or clinic require extra levels of security, such as operating theatres or pharmacies. In these parts of the building, it’s particularly important that only authorised individuals can access secure areas. A simple interlock solution solves this problem. By ensuring that only one door at a time can be unlocked, the hygiene and security requirements of these special areas can be robustly upheld.
5. Highly accurate reporting and tracking
A comprehensive access control solution tells you who went where, when, and for how long. In a hospital or clinic, where it’s a busy environment working around the clock, it’s vital that access reporting is regular, accurate, and reliable. For security of assets and quality of care, security managers and site officers benefit from being able to see exactly who entered an area at a particular time. With the AVISION CCTV interface for ATRIUM access control, the system can open an instant pop-up of live CCTV footage when particular events occur, such as a door being forced open. Security teams can then respond as quickly as possible.
Access control for health facilities
3rd August 2022