Handle with care: what makes Code Handle® the right PIN door lock for health premises?

London, October 2019 – In any busy medical facility – surgeries, dental practices or physiotherapy suites – it’s all too easy to accidentally leave a door unlocked. With expensive equipment or controlled drugs on the other side, any opening invites an opportunist. But if you install a Code Handle electronic PIN lock, you need never worry again.

 The secure, easy-to-fit Code Handle fits right over an existing locking cylinder. You simply swap the door handle for a sleek, low-profile Code Handle, and fix it in place with two screws, to instantly add PIN security to any consultation room, medicine store or equipment cupboard.

With Code Handle, there is no wiring and no expensive access control to fit. Two standard batteries (CR2) slot inside the handle, typically lasting 30,000 lock/unlock cycles before replacement. Your Code Handle comes with a master code and 9 different user PINs – it’s that simple to free staff from the inconvenience of carrying or keeping track of mechanical keys. PINs are easy to set and change whenever an office manager decides. Staff won’t need any specialist or outside help to manage your Code Handle doors.

The Code Handle integrated PIN keypad is equally easy for users. Anyone authorised enters their 4-digit code on the handle to unlock the door. Doctors, nurses and other professionals, as well as admin staff, practice managers, security guards and cleaning teams, come and go with their own PINs.

For added security and peace of mind, a Code Handle locks itself when the door closes. Now you can be sure nobody has seen the confidential patient file on your desk or entered the drug cupboard without permission.

Which doors need a Code Handle?

In any healthcare facility, not all staff should have access to every room. You don’t want just anyone walking in on your consultation. Doctors and patients expect privacy. With Code Handle rooms remain confidential.

Where do you keep controlled drugs or hazardous waste bins? Fit a Code Handle so you no longer need to track a physical key or get the lock changed when it goes missing.

And many treatment and examination rooms house expensive or dangerous equipment, including X-ray machines, dental tools and specialist physiotherapy kit. With Code Handle, all this gets the extra level of security it deserves – without the expense of fitting access control.

To learn how easily healthcare premises can benefit from ASSA ABLOY’s Code Handle PIN lock, visit https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/codehandle

Wireless Aperio® locks and wired access control work together at this French hospital

London, September 2019 — As in every health facility, security for the Haute Savoie region’s new hospital presented a complex challenge. Access control required multiple checkpoints and access rights tailored to individual staff and contractors. Real-time control, enabling managers to respond proactively including by opening and closing doors remotely, was another essential.

To meet their security challenges, managers selected Aperio®locking technology integrated online with an ARD access management system. Because Aperio® locks are wireless, the hospital could introduce many more layers of security and secure doors without incurring excessive installation or operating costs, including for sensitive offices and drug stores. Now staff no longer carry key bunches or waste valuable time hunting down relevant keys. All their individual permissions are stored on a single, programmable RFID credential.

Alongside standard wired locking, the hospital chose 1,300 Aperio® wireless escutcheons, 10 Aperio® wireless handles with integrated RFID reader, and 301 Aperio® wall readers. A network of 228 Aperio® communications hubs connects every Aperio®lock wirelessly to the central access system software.

All these battery-powered Aperio® devices integrate natively with the centralised access system, so wired and wireless access points at Centre Hospitalier Métropole Savoie (CHMS) are managed together, with real-time management logs, remote door opening and free time slot management. Secure 128-bit AES encryption protects communications between Aperio® lock, hub and system.

“Having just a single badge — and not having to carry around heavy keys — has been a major advantage for us,” says Béatrice Dequidt, Health Executive at CHMS.

Easy administration from a single interface

“This solution’s advantage is it represents a single site from an authorisation management and systems perspective,” explains Aurélien De Riols, ARD’s Eastern Region Director. One single, intuitive management interface enables security teams to administer and maintain access control autonomously, as well as streamline laborious everyday tasks.

“We have implemented internal HR management procedures, creating badges that are automatically integrated into ARD’s operating software,” adds Alain Gestin, CHMS’s IT Systems Architect. Aperio® and ARD maintain compatibility of credentials with the French government’s electronic Health Professional Card (CPS), for added staff convenience.

For every site user, the advantages of carrying a single RFID-enabled badge — instead of multiple keys — are clear.

To discover whether your existing security system is ready for wireless Aperio® locks, download a free, fast Compatibility Checker at https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/aperio-upgrade

Code Handle® protects a physiotherapy practice with secure, stylish PIN-operated handles

London, September 2019 – In all medical settings, people are coming and going all day. Therapists leave their personal belongings in changing rooms, patients want privacy in consulting rooms, open or unlocked doors can be an invitation to opportunists. Yet keeping track of mechanical keys can be a tiresome task for a small practice. There is a solution: the Code Handle PIN lock from ASSA ABLOY.

In Irun, in Spain’s Basque country, Fylab sought easy electronic door security for their consulting rooms. These rooms house expensive specialist equipment for the various therapeutic disciplines offered by Fylab. Requirements were straightforward: a simple, secure, keyless access solution designed to work in a facility that gets a lot of daily traffic from professionals and the public. They needed a locking device that is easy to retrofit and incorporates a contemporary device design to match with Fylab’s modern medical workplace.

The Code Handle PIN-locking door handle added electronic security to three consulting-room doors at Fylab — without wires or cables. Two screws fit a Code Handle to almost any interior door (between 35mm to 80mm thick). You don’t even need to change your existing door cylinder.

“I am no artist or handyman, but I managed to fit the handles within 10 minutes,” says Fylab founder, Borja Saldias Retegui.

Code Handle has many advantages for a small medical practice

Code Handle adds electronic security to almost any interior door without disrupting its aesthetics. If you need to secure a door facing a public space, Code Handle does it subtly and with zero hassle. At Fylab, Code Handle devices locks both wooden and glass doors, keeping equipment and therapists’ personal belongings safe.

“We like the solution a lot because we can do away with keys,” adds Borja. Code Handle removes the need to track cumbersome keys or install expensive access control. Because every Code Handle allows up to 9 different PIN numbers (4 to 6 digits), all authorised staff at Fylab can have their own security code. The practice manager cancels or amends PINs at any time using the master PIN. Two standard batteries (CR2) slot inside the handle, typically lasting 30,000 lock/unlock cycles before replacement. It’s simple.

“Code Handle is unique in comparison to common code door locks: it has the code function and battery incorporated inside its handle, so you don’t need to make extra modifications to your door,” explains Lars Angelin, Business Development Manager for Code Handle at ASSA ABLOY EMEA.

Auto-locking is another helpful feature. When the door closes, Code Handle locks it automatically. You don’t need to put down whatever you are carrying, and no one can open it from the outside while you are not looking. To keep the door open briefly, you simply hold Code Handle down for 5 seconds and it remains temporarily unlocked. For convenience, Code Handle always opens freely from the inside.

“Code Handle provides the most simple solution for access control in a small facility,” says Borja.

To learn more about Code Handle, visit https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/codehandle

Advantage CLIQ®: key access control where the power is already in your pocket

London, September 2019 – In a world where many electronic access systems offer greater convenience and flexibility than mechanical keys, what can really make the difference? Instead of being tied to mains electricity, what if you could carry the power with you?

With a CLIQ® wireless access control system, a battery inside each key powers all your electromechanical CLIQ®cylinders and padlocks. Authorised key-holders carry a single battery-powered key programmed with only their pre-defined access permissions. Keeping the solution’s power source independent of the locks and padlocks makes CLIQ® management and operation more efficient.

Keys have a typical battery life of 5 years. When it is time to change the battery, anyone can do it. No expert needed, and no need to visit all your CLIQ® locks to reprogram or check their power. With CLIQ®, all the power you need is in your key.

CLIQ® locks have other advantages, too. Because CLIQ® devices are wireless and battery-powered, you do not need cabling around the door. There is no need for any invasive electrical wiring when you install CLIQ® key access control.

And thanks to CLIQ®’s menu of software options, you decide how to manage your users’ access rights. CLIQ® Local Manager can administer your system via a local software installation; the CLIQ® Web Manager runs securely in the cloud. ASSA ABLOY also offers a convenient Software as a Service solution option with round-the-clock support, maintenance and incident reporting as standard, and Service Level Agreements delivering data redundancy and up to 99.5% availability.

eCLIQ, the fully electronic application of CLIQ® technology

A fully electronic addition to the CLIQ® portfolio, the eCLIQ wireless access system is built around secure microelectronics with AES encryption. Robust and durable, eCLIQ electronic cylinders are available for doors, cabinets, lifts, alarm boxes, machines and entrance gates. An integrated lubricant reservoir ensures they remain maintenance-free for up to 200,000 cycles.

“This evolution of our award-winning CLIQ® technology is already protecting businesses and public services across Europe,” says Stephan Schulz, CLIQ® Product Manager at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA. “Organizations in a range of sectors, and with differing building types — from Italy’s Creval Bank to University Hospital Frankfurt — have learned that eCLIQ provides the control and flexibility their premises need.”

To learn how your buildings would benefit from an eCLIQ electronic key locking system, visit https://assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/ecliq

Real-time functionality can put access control managers in total control

London, August 2019 — What could real-time access control do for your building security? In an instant, upgrading to real-time control boosts the intelligence of an access system, relaying live event reports and enabling you to change the security status of any door or user at any time.

Real-time access control with wireless online locking provides options that do not exist with offline systems. With real-time functionality, facility managers get audit trails and change access rights for any door, user or credential instantly. You can lock or unlock any door remotely from the central admin software — which means no walking to the door in person and no delays when you need to take action at short notice.

In schools, real-time wireless online access control enables security managers to remotely lock and open doors in any emergency, or whenever they choose. In hospitals equipped with real-time access control, staff see immediately who had access to drug stores or valuable equipment. Many more building types already benefit from real-time access control.

How does real time access control work?

Real-time access control relies on a network of communications hubs. These operate as a bridge between admin system software and access control door devices. In a SMARTair® Pro Wireless Online system, one communications hub links up to 30 wireless locking devices to the central system. Information is exchanged via an existing or new TCP/IP network, protected with AES-128 and SSL encryption. You can pass updates or read the event logs of any battery-powered SMARTair® escutcheon, knob cylinder, lock or wall reader anytime you choose.

With real-time access control from SMARTair®, you can view the status of every door in your building at a glance. Alerts are monitored in real-time, so you track and prevent any attempted unauthorised access before it even happens. A real-time SMARTair® system alerts a facility manager in cases of intrusion, doors left open, low battery status, denied access or attempted use of any cancelled card or mobile credential.

To amend door or time validity of any user credential takes a couple of clicks in SMARTair® admin software which you can access anytime and from anywhere.

Plus SMARTair® gives you the option to combine wireless online and offline doors in the same system. You can fine-tune where you deploy real-time access control in different areas of your premises.

How two schools benefit from real-time access control

Real-time access control can impact your security and access management no matter what size or type your premises. At Westbridge Special Residential School, SMARTair® Wireless Online management proved a simple electronic solution for greater control and school security. Each staff member carries one RFID credential card programmed with access rights personalized to their role. In an emergency, the school can remotely lock and open doors in real time via the admin software.

In Denmark, Vejle Friskole’s mechanical keys have been replaced by a SMARTair® online access control system. Over 80 doors and cabinets around the school are locked with SMARTair® wireless devices. Using the intuitive SMARTair® software, managers always have an overview of who has been at the school, and when. Audit trails are generated and monitored in real time using the SMARTair® system.

To discover what a real-time solution from SMARTair® can do for your building’s security, download a free guide at https://campaigns.assaabloyopeningsolutions.eu/smartair

Space to work when you need it

Ganterstorage3Activity based working space is the new buzzword in today’s world of flexible office management

As companies adapt to the ways of modern working – such as offering their staff more flexible hours, opportunities to work remotely, bringing in specialist teams for one-off projects – the office space also needs to adapt to provide a comfortable and efficient space for those present.

The latest concept in flexible work environments is known as activity based working (ABW) space, which means that regardless of employee numbers on a given day, there’s always a suitable workspace for them.

Such practices frequently involve ‘hot desking’ – which means that once an employee has finished their shift, they simply lock up their things and clear the desk space for the next person. Read more

ACT ON THE WARDS

princess royal hospital - haywards heath - lo resMeridian Surveillance Systems are securing the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton with door controllers, proximity readers and management software from Access Control Technology (ACT) as part of an IP-addressable system.

The Royal Sussex County Hospital provides general, specialist and tertiary services as part of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH) which is an acute teaching hospital Read more

Traka Helping BT Make the Right Call

data_centre_cardiff_lo-resManagement systems from Traka are being used by BT to track keys at its £90m flagship International Data Centre in Cardiff Bay, Wales.

Operations at the centre are supported by stringent security measures which ensure access to and within the building is controlled and restricted to authorised personnel whose use of site keys can be seen with clear audit trail capability.

Occupied by 250 staff who manage the diverse requirements of BT’s hosting and managed service customers worldwide, the International Data Centre is a 60,000 sq. ft. Read more

Portsmouth Guildhall campus using transom door closers from Alpro

university of portsmouth lo resThe University of Portsmouth is using transom door closers from Alpro Architectural Hardware at its Guildhall campus.

Alpro’s overhead transom closers are a means of hydraulically controlling the opening and closing of aluminium doors and can have light, medium or heavy spring strengths to suit type of usage, with a 90 degree hold-open option. The university is using the devices Read more