Best practice guide for hospitalsMasterkey best practice guide

Traditional hospital systems are too cumbersome

The fundamental difference between a traditional & modern approach to masterkeyed systems is that the keys within a modern system are linked to groups of users who have identical access requirements, rather than linking keys to the geographic location of the door within the building.

 

  Traditional masterkeyed system for hospitals

 

Twenty years ago, a masterkey system for a hospital would normally be hierarchical as the diagram above shows. All of the doors would be operable by a Grand Masterkey.

At the next level, doors would be arranged into area zones and zone sub masterkeys (masterkey for a group of locks) would be allocated to control that particular area of the hospital. It would be normal to add a further level that could for example cover floors within the building or departments.

Individual keys that operate an individual cylinder lock would then be allocated.

Major drawbacks of this method are that the system cannot accommodate the requirements of multiple departments requiring access to the same doors/areas.

In a traditional hospital masterkey system, the deficiency is typically overcome by issuing multiple keys to each individual. In some systems, individuals have been issued with multiple zone sub masterkeys, thus weakening the integrity of the system as the individual has access to an entire zone(s) irrespective of the fact that they only require access to minimal doors within the zone.

traditional master key system for hospitals jailor key syndromeSummary of drawbacks

  • Individuals carry multiple keys (Jailor Key Syndrome)
  • An immense number of keys are required in the system as individual keys are created for each door. This leads to issues of cost and storage
  • The number of keys in the system soon exhausts the capacity of the cylinder system and thus reduces the capability of future system extensions
  • The system becomes so complex that it is difficult to decide what keys are required and to whom they have been issued
  • If the needs of the hospital change, if for example a nurse on ward 22 is seconded to ward 36 which happens to be in a different building or on a different floor, additional keys would need to be allocated
  • Difficult to arrange and plan the masterkey system

 

Modern hospital key control systems

Modernl masterkeyed system for hospitals

The diagram above illustrates part of a typical set-up showing how a number of different keys are allocated in a modern hospital master keyed system.

Each key is specific to a department and so, for example, the Clinical Control Key for the A&E department will only operate the 'clinical' doors within A&E and no other department.

As it is possible for doors to be operated by more than one key i.e. a staff room could be operated by both 'clinical' and 'admin' keys it is therefore possible to eliminate most if not all differ keys (keys that operate one lock only).

An exception to the rule that keys span one department only is usually made for FM keys. These keys operate all FM type doors across the entire hospital, allowing the electronic access control system to control the access to zones/buildings.

Modern master key system for hospitals single keyModern key control systems have the following benefits for the system planner:

  • As the electronic system will be installed at the entrances to zones or departments, the masterkey system can be simplified whilst remaining secure. This is due to the fact that the keyholder must first have a valid access control credential such as a card or fob to enter the zone/department
  • Individuals are issued with minimal keys. Usually only 1 is required
  • The total number of keys required is kept to a minimum, so if you have 200 Nurses & Midwives you need only 200 identical 'clinical keys'
  • Masterkey planning is significantly easier
  • The system is easy to understand
  • The arrangements are easily communicated to staff
  • Stocks of keys can be held for immediate issue (made possible as there are typically less than 40 - 60 different key types to run the entire system)
  • Flexible to accommodate changing needs. If, for example, a nurse is seconded to a different ward there is no need to re-issue additional keys

Planning your hospital masterkey system

When planning your system it is important to consider:

  • The elimination of the grand master key (the key in a traditional system that controls every door in the hospital)
  • How the mechanical key and electronic access control system can be harmonised
  • Matching keys to groups of users
  • Differ keys for special rooms
  • How to document the plan of the masterkeyed system
  • The design and supply process

Convenient or secure? - elimination of the grand masterkey

Modern masterkeyed system no grand master key

In traditional systems the grand masterkey (the key that operates every lock in the Hospital) exists. This means that the system is designed to be more convenient than secure.

Whilst these systems are convenient for the grand masterkey holder, the system is made vulnerable in its design. This is due to the effect of a lost grand masterkey being so great.

In the system’s life, we see the issuance of grand masterkeys being disproportionate to what would be considered as normal. Again this proves that either they are replacements for lost keys or that for convenience’s sake, more and more individuals are using the key.

We therefore consider the creation and issuance of the grand master key will result in it being issued beyond what was initially intended, either for convenience or to replace lost keys. With this in mind, we strongly recommend that the grand masterkey does not exist.

Harmonising the mechanical key and electronic access control

eTouch Key & wTouch Fob

Most modern hospitals use mechanical masterkey systems in conjunction with electronic access control. As the electronic system will be installed at the entrances to zones or departments, the key system remains secure as the keyholder must first have a valid access control credential such as a card or fob to enter the department.
This means for example, that a nurse who normally works on ward 23 can be seconded to ward 5. Only the access control credential needs to be updated. A single clinical key is all that is required, negating the need to create separate keys for each ward.

Matching control keys with user groups

The fundamental difference between a modern approach to masterkeyed systems is that the keys within the system are linked to groups of users who have identical access requirements, rather than through their geographic location within the building.

The first step is to consider the users that will use each department/building. The users could be organised into groups such as:

  • Ancillary Staff
  • Admin & Clerical
  • Senior Managers
  • Doctors  & Consultants
  • Health Care Assistants
  • Nurses & Midwives
  • Theatre Staff
  • Scientific
  • Technical
  • Pharmacy
  • Engineering
  • FM - Cleaner
  • FM - Catering
  • FM - Maintenance
  • FM - Security

Matching control keys with user groups

Each of the user groups identified are allocated a 'Control Key'. These could be as follows:

  • Clinical control key
  • Medicine control key
  • Theatres control key
  • Administration control key
  • Senior managers control key
  • Pharmacy control key
  • Store control key
  • Clean procedures control key
  • Mortuary services control key
  • Soft FM – cleaning control key
  • Soft FM – catering control key
  • Hard FM – security control key
  • Hard FM – services control key
  • Hard FM – IT Hub control key

 

  eTouch Key & user groups hospital

There will be occasions where a number of user groups are allocated the same 'control key'. For example, doctors, consultants, nurses, physiotherapists etc may all be allocated the 'Clinical control key'. 

Matching control keys with doors

Each door within the building is then assessed in relation to which of the control keys should operate.

Matching eTouch Keys with hospital doors

In this example you can see that each door can be allocated access to different combinations of control keys/user groups.

Differ keys for special rooms

It is recommended that keys to operate one lock only should be kept to a minimum to allow sophisticated control keying as shown above. Differ keys should be limited to 'Special Rooms'. Areas that are candidates for these are typically cash rooms and medical records. These doors are usually issued with a key that operates that door alone (and no other) and the issuing of keys should be limited. These doors are not usually operable by any master key or control keys.

Lockchart

Using a lockchart (your supplier can supply you with a blank spreadsheet that is already populated with each individual door) you can plan which control keys should operate which mechanically controlled doors. Where an X intersects the control key and the door, that key will operate.

Masterkey System for Hospital Lockchart

Best practice guide for hospitals

Download this guide

The masterkey best practice guide for hospitals that contains all of the above can be downloaded here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The UK's most specified masterkey system just got integrated... mechanical AND electric locking. in one cost-effective system.
Beautiful to behold. More accessible and DDA compliant than any other. At last, seamless Access2 All Areas.