School design guide: integrated accessible control - masterkey systems and electronic access control

As schools become more complex and access requirements more sophisticated, those who have to set up and administer the new access system can often feel that things are getting 'out of control'.

In a traditional access control solution the mechanical masterkey system and any electronic systems are created in isolation. Not only are the systems divorced but they are most likely to be originated by different companies.

With eTigris® TWO, your system is designed as one entity where the needs of the user and the building are balanced.

The design and implementation of an integrated school access system can be a daunting task, the aim of this guide is to simplify the process by allowing you to:

• Understand what an eTigris® integrated system can provide
  
• Utilise the features in a school environment
  
• See exactly what is involved
  
• Actively participate in the system design and set up
  
• Have an informed view of the system prior to your supplier providing the installation, commissioning and training

Design - a five step process

In this section we will cover a FIVE step process to planning and implementing an integrated system in a school environment.  

 

Design - step ONE identify your doors

Using the building plan identify which doors are to be electronically controlled and which are to be mechanically controlled. Candidates for electronic control include the following:

• Those doors that are high risk; i.e. where a lost or stolen key would compromise the security of the building or where the contents of a room require special security considerations
• Those doors that you need the ability to monitor who has gained access, when or for how long for example
• Doors that are high traffic but where the door would normally be kept locked during lesson times. Electronic doors have the advantage of being able to auto unlock and lock at certain times of the day e.g. break time and lunchtime. These doors would be operable by fob at all other times

Why:

For an electronically controlled door, if a fob is lost then it can be barred immediately from providing access so that security of the whole school is maintained. The system will provide an audit trail of who went where and when. These doors can also be time controlled either to automatically open/lock between specific times or to allow access by the fob only at specified times.

 

In the example:

Perimeter doors and the entrance to the Facility Management (FM)/Kitchen zone are high risk or high traffic. These doors should have electronic control (blue doors).

The other doors require mechanical keys (red doors).

Mechanical doors secured by Tigris® masterkeyed cylinders

Electronic doors controlled by eTigris® TWO integrated access control

 

Design - step TWO arrange users into groups

Think of the individuals who will use the school. Arrange them into groups which require access to the same doors within the building. In our example we have created groups of 'Teachers', 'Administration', 'Kitchen Staff', 'FM Maintenance' and 'FM Cleaners'.

 

 

It is likely that some 'Access Groups' may be issued with mechanical keys only, some with electronic eTouch fobs or eButtons and some with integrated electronic and mechanical eTouch Keys.

Why:

For electronic doors, whilst the system will allow direct control of any individual it is much easier to manage the 'Group' that they belong to. If, for example, you wish to change the door permissions for all Teachers, then you make the change to the group called 'Teachers' rather than applying the door change to each individual Teacher.

For mechanical doors, the Access Groups will help you determine which key each user should be issued and how the masterkeyed cylinders will be made.

 

Design - step THREE decide who goes where

Using a lockchart (your security supplier can supply you with a blank spreadsheet that is already populated with each individual door) you can plan which 'Access Groups' should operate which electronic and mechanically controlled doors.

Differ keys for special rooms

To allow for maximum convenience (doors operable by multiples of group keys) it is necessary that keys to operate one masterkeyed lock only (and no other in the system) should be kept to a minimum.

Doors that have individual keys should be limited to 'Special Rooms' such as chemical or drug stores. Alternatively these doors may justify being electronically controlled as access to them can be controlled and monitored.

Allocating keys

You should decide which group’s key (either the eTouch Key or just mechanical key) should operate which mechanical doors. Once this is chosen, the masterkeyed cylinders can be built.

Cylinder best practice guide for schools

Further detail on developing the cylinder masterkey system for a school is shown here. 

The decisions you have made in Steps 1 to 3 are sufficient for your integrated system to be ordered. The remaining steps will determine how the system will be set up during installation.

 

 

 

Design - step FOUR consider patterns of use

For electronic doors, unlike those controlled by a mechanical cylinder, you are able to programme how and when each door can be accessed. The system allows you to do this by:

• Setting parameters of how and when for each door
• Setting parameters of which doors and when for each 'Access Group'

How the door can be accessed

For each electronic door you should consider how you want it to be accessed. Doors can be programmed to lock and unlock in a variety of different door mode patterns:

• Door automatically unlocks and locks at pre determined times and/or days of the week
• Unlock by Credential (eTouch Key, eTouch Fob or eButton)
• Unlock by the first credential of the day and remain unlocked until locked again by credential or automatically at a certain time

For example, the main entrance door can be programmed to open automatically in the morning and lock automatically in the evening. At all other times it can be accessed by eTouch Fob, Key or eButton. 

When can the Access Groups have access?
 
Think of when the access groups (as set up in Step 2) should have access. The 'Access Group Time Zones' allows the system to understand what times and days to allow the 'Access Group' to enter.

In the example below we have set up the following access group time zones:

• FM Maintenance - doors can be accessed 24/7 including holidays
• FM Cleaners - 4.30pm - 8.30pm Monday to Friday excluding holidays
• Teachers - 7.30am - 6.00pm Monday to Friday excluding holidays

Establishing holiday periods

Think of the days that are to be holidays. The system allows you to set up advance holiday dates where for example Christmas Day is set up as a holiday. Even though this may fall on a Monday, the system will only allow access if the group has been given access on holidays.

 

Design - step FIVE add the individual users

All that remains is to add the individual users to the system, attach them to their 'access group' and then
issue them with their credential. To do this we:

• Add the person’s name
• Assign that person to an access group i.e. ‘Teachers’ or ‘Kitchen Staff’ for example
• Teach the software the unique credential ID (using the desk reader, sited close to the PC)
• Issue the credential to the user
  

 

Summary

Setting up the doors you will input variables for 'how' the door is accessed and 'when', including which days are classed as holidays.

In setting up each of the 'Access Groups' you will determine links to each door and 'when' they can be accessed, including whether access is allowed during 'holidays'.

You will input each individual user, assign them to an 'Access Group' and issue their credential.

 

 

Download this guide

The integrated design guide for schools that contains all of the above can be downloaded here.

 

 

 

 

  

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