The most important thing is to design the whole thing properly, taking into account the specifics of the company in question, as well as the internal layout of the facility. All points of recording the start and end of work should be thought through and well laid out. T&A solutions i KD can work in conjunction with traditional doors, equipped with the appropriate electronic components, but in many locations turnstile gates are a better choice. How should they be installed, why use turnstiles and how do they support time management software?
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Time & attendance and access control system - main features
An access control module is a solution that enables continuous surveillance of the entrance to buildings, rooms or resource storage areas. Depending on the option chosen, it can include a variety of security technologies, including proximity cards, RFID fobs or biometrics. Most often, SKDs are integrated with other security solutions such as video surveillance cameras, intruder alarms or Building management systems (BMS).
By implementing SKD, the need for physical keys is eliminated, and when access to an area needs to be restricted or granted, everything is done quickly and efficiently. RCP, on the other hand, promotes efficiency - it automatically calculates working time, facilitates the accounting of lateness and overtime, and monitors traffic between entrances for employees of different levels.
Integrated with RCP software, the gates strictly control traffic, allowing a single person to pass through at any one time. Each gate is equipped with encapsulated SKD or RCP readers for access security and event logging, used later for counting working hours.
Design, gate equipment and technical issues - what to look out for?
There are many types of gates, with different sizes, designs and purposes. They can be divided according to the mechanism that lets people through and there are three basic variants:
- High and low turnstiles (two-armed, three-armed, drop-armed, fixed arm, one-way, two-way)
- swing gates
- sliding gates
The functioning of the pass-through mechanism is electronically controlled and is activated by bringing the card close to the reader. This triggers an electrical impulse, causing the arms to rotate or extend, or unlocking the rotation mechanism for the passage.
Tilt gates are unlikely to have any practical use in employee time-keeping systems. Their function is to direct the movement of passing people, so they can be installed at emergency or technical aisles, or as forcing one direction of movement of people - they usually stand at the exits of facilities. Bi-directional rotary versions are designed for access control of the movement of people in guarded areas, for both indoor and outdoor applications.
In the event of an emergency, such as a fire, flooding or other emergency requiring the rapid evacuation of employees, switching off the power will cause the gate arms to automatically drop and unlock. The arms then do not block access, providing unrestricted passage for people leaving the building quickly.
If required, in order to adapt passageways supervised with turnstiles to the requirements of health, safety and fire safety regulations, they can be supplemented with tilting (evacuation) versions to ensure adequate throughput. This applies to locations equipped with both high and low models of rotating tripods.
RCP and a turnstile - how can they work together?
The main task of the T&A system is to collect and record information on entries and exits for all employees. In the case of solutions integrated with T&A and SKD, it is therefore necessary to consider gates with functions controlling the rotation of arms in the direction set by the controller, i.e. bi-directional. Effective access control in high-traffic areas must also be based on entrance gates that guarantee adequate system efficiency and throughput.
The registration system can consist of multiple points located in different areas and be integrated into the T&A programme. The proximity reader is located in the outer cover of the gate and is equipped with a pictogram indicating the possibility of passage and a button to change the registration mode. Information about the time of the event and the card number is automatically stored in the access control or time registration system. It can also be linked to an employee in a time and attendance programme. All this data will later be used for HR calculations, including the determination of absenteeism, lateness, overtime and other events, in accordance with the Labour Code.
It is useful to be able to open the arms or unlock the rotation only in the direction in which the passage is authorised. This ensures consistency of entry and exit events, which is extremely important from the point of view of correct accounting of working hours. For SKD administrators, in turn, it provides valuable information about the current location of the employee. One-way versions are not able to provide this kind of event recording.
Are RCP programmes easily integrated with security in the form of turnstiles?
The technical requirements in terms of installation can vary depending on the chosen system and its complexity. In general, each SKD and T&A installation requires the appropriate cable infrastructure, power supply, mounting points, card and reader system and software.
The gates combine advanced digital technology with elegant design to provide effective physical access restriction. They guarantee a high level of security and smooth movement of all persons within the protected zones. Today's products are stainless steel swivel or tilt mechanical devices, fully electronically controlled and designed for universal control of passenger traffic in various locations.
From a practical point of view, one of the main advantages is the design, which ensures the passage of only one person. The gate is unlocked according to the entitlement of the access card used by the employee. If there is no authorisation and entry is refused, it remains closed. Depending on whether the passage is to be unidirectional or bidirectional, modules are mounted in one or both directions.
Access control gates with employee time tracking - operation and benefits
Known from airports, train stations or the entrances to sports venues, gates have found their way into business premises and company buildings as part of access control, working hours recording or people flow counting systems. They are also used for traffic control in sensitive and high-security areas. These include, for example, public facilities, banks or administrative buildings, as well as hazardous substance storage areas.
Can the access gate system be tricked or circumvented? It is not possible without eccentricity, and attempts at force are also of little use. Turnstile gates are robust, standing firm against attempts at unauthorised entry. They also eliminate attempts to register an entry or exit event on behalf of another employee, i.e. passing cards to each other. A single pass and subsequent lockout limits all creative attempts at abuse.
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