News Briefs July

As a result, i-Evo biometric readers can scan through dirt, dust, high ambient light, water and even some latex gloves.  According to Oakes, they are ideal for contractors on site who sometimes must obtain worker fingerprints through damage or dirt.  For instance, major UK contractor Willmott Dixon decided last January 2010 to specify a new biometric turnstile access control system to join existing CCTV and manned guard security on their construction sites.  Willmott Dixon, which employs over 2500 people, wanted to use a biometric system because of previous problems with proximity card and pin code systems which can easily be lost, stolen or passed from person to person.

Using i-Evo biometric readers leveraging Lumidigm’s multispectral fingerprint sensors, Willmott Dixon can now see which company (sub-contractor) has been on site and how many staff and of which trades.  This ensures correct pay rates are used and that any disputes with timekeeping on site are quickly resolved because the biometric evidence is irrefutable. They can also use the anti-passback facility on the software which means the system will not let personnel scan off site unless they have scanned on and vice versa. This is critical for health and safety because Willmott Dixon knows exactly who is on site. When they run a fire drill, they can compare the software report to actual people on site. They have run a number of these reports and been 100 percent accurate.