Like many people in charge of maintaining school premises, Danny Latimer keeps the security provision at Rush Common School, Abingdon, under constant review. Controlling access is important, not only for pupil and staff safety, but also to ensure that property and equipment is adequately protected. Along with other stakeholders, Danny undertakes regular risk assessments so that the school environment is as safe and secure as it can be.
In order to deter intruders and restrict the movement of authorised visitors while on site, most schools employ a variety of access control methods. Rush Common School has a standalone hard-wired PIN access control system on the main access door and uses a range of keyless digital locks internally.
“When I’m looking at providing additional access protection throughout the school, the last thing I need is more keys!” said Danny. “Keyless locks are so much more convenient than traditional locks and keys; it’s far easier and cheaper to change an access code than it is to keep replacing lost keys. And as keyless locks can be added-one-door-at-a-time with the minimum amount of disruption, they are a simple and cost effective solution too.”
One of the challenges facing Danny as site manager is the ability to grant access to authorised visitors out of school hours, at weekends and during the school holidays. The school’s facilities are used by an independent after-school club, and other various sports and holiday clubs. Contractors also need to access certain facilities for planned maintenance during the school holidays. To solve this problem, Danny has recently installed the new Codelocks.
CL5010 tubular mortice latch lock with audit trail on an external door located at the back of the school with access via the playground. The door leads into a restricted area of the school where there is access to facilities and water.
The CL5010 is a robust, easy-to-use digital lock that allows Danny to manage access permissions and review the door activity on a computer. Danny can set up individual access codes for each person or organisation requiring access to the school. He can create access codes that will only work on certain days (i.e. at weekends only) or at specific times of the day. The lock records all of the access codes used in an audit trail log that can be downloaded using a USB memory stick.
“It’s great because I can assign different codes for the cleaners, the after-school club, the football club and for contractors during the holidays. Once I’ve downloaded the audit trail data, I can see exactly who has been through the door and when. Because the lock registers incorrect code attempts, it’s reassuring to know that I can also see if anyone is trying to gain access when they shouldn’t be or if anyone is tampering with the lock,” said Danny.
Using the data management software, Danny can create over 900 individual access codes. Settings can be copied from one lock to another and codes can be created so that they are time-sensitive. The lock registers 2,000 audit trail entries, which can be exported and saved to an Excel spread sheet. During the day, the lock can be placed into ‘code free’ mode allowing children and teachers free access in and out of the playground.
“The lock is nice and secure,” said Danny. “Much better than the old mechanical lock that was in its place beforehand. The school staff find it easy to use.” Unlike other access control systems, the CL5010 does not require any hard wiring, saving the school money on expensive installation costs and reducing disruption. The lock performs 200,000 operations from just four AA batteries.
14, Jul 2014