Why is access control so important?

access control

Whether you’re running a business that sees a lot of people constantly coming and going, or you’re simply looking to add some extra security features to your property, access control can solve a lot of security issues that you could potentially have in terms of who gains access to your premises.

Access control can play a vital role in enhancing the security of your site or property, and it can be supplied in a variety of different forms, from key cards, coded door locks, and electric gates. But what makes it such a valuable resource?

What is access control?

Essentially, access control pretty much does what it says on the tin. It’s used to control if and when a specific individual can access a certain location. In a business environment this could be an employee or a client, and in a residential context this could be a visitor, a tradesperson, or a member of your household staff. In short, access control increases the security of your building by allowing you to control who goes where and when.

Why is access control important?

Quite simply, access control puts you in control of who comes in and out of your building or site. By tracking when individuals enter and leave certain rooms and locations, you improve the overall security of your site.

That is, of course, the key issue that many people have in mind when they invest in access control. It’s not always just about security though, but safety too. For example, access control gives you the ability to restrict access to certain areas of your premises which could be housing sensitive information or dangerous materials. If you’re working on a building site, it’s likely that you want to avoid anyone untrained from wandering into highly dangerous areas which they’re unprepared or ill-equipped for, where they’d be at risk of causing themselves harm.

5 key benefits of access control

Tracked entry – you’ll know exactly how many people there are in a designated space. If an emergency occurs at a working site (like a fire for example, or a toxic gas leak), you know exactly how many people you need to account for when evacuating.

Crime prevention – restricting unauthorised access to certain areas can reduce the occurrence of common crimes like theft or vandalism. Crucially, not always from intruders – thefts can sometimes be committed by people inside an organisation too. You can also prevent individuals within an environment from having access to sensitive information, or private areas in a personal residence; for example, your home office or garage.

Reduce the impact of key loss – unlike traditional keys, entry cards can instantly be removed from the system if they go missing. That means if you’re operating a commercial building site for example, you can minimise the impact of simple mistakes on your day-to-day operations. They can also help you reduce potential costs, which in a worst-case scenario could include new door locks for an entire site or building.

Improve the experience of staff and visitors – access control allows your staff and visitors to feel more secure, which in turn promotes a more at-ease working environment. As an added bonus, access control will help to bring a sense of gravitas to your property, and increase its value if you ever decide to sell it.

Those are all the basics pretty much covered! If you’re looking to implement some access control facilities of your own in the form of electric gate automation, then you’re in exactly the right place. With over 30 years in supplying and fitting high-quality gate automation here at Gate Auto, we provide a wide range of electric gate kits and garage door openers alongside an array of accessories to ensure you get the most out of your investment. Feel free to browse them right here on our site, or give us a call on 01282 677300!