Although commercial buildings vary in size, function and design, the most effective have to take into consideration the constantly evolving personalities, values and functional requirements of its occupants.
Building owners, facility managers and their locksmith partners are challenged not only in complying with strictly enforced building codes but also in finding ways to manage buildings that have multiple security levels and users who have varying access rights. In addition, occupants’ expectations have changed, which requires a delicate balance between safer, more secure spaces and easy access.
When you look to upgrade door openings, many electronic access control options are available, including automatic door operators and wave-sensing touchless actuators, but they might not fit all budgets. The following are five ways that (primarily) mechanical options can help you to upgrade a commercial door, among others.
1. Hands-Free and Touchless
In the face of a continually shape-shifting pandemic, hand-washing and mask-wearing have become health imperatives. Still, finding ways to reduce germ transmission remains at the top of every facility manager’s list.
As a result, over the past year, building owners have been replacing standard door pulls, levers and knobs with a variety of hands-free, low-touch and touchless solutions. These include innovative handle trim styles that get away from grasping a piece of hardware to open a door. Some manufacturers go even further by offering optional antimicrobial coating that’s applied during manufacturing and continuously stops the spread of bacteria on hard surfaces for the life of the product.
Many contemporary handle trim designs enable occupants to use a hip, elbow or even a foot to open doors. Also, upgrading from lever trim to a push or pull paddle trim, for example, is straightforward and highly cost-effective, because it doesn’t require replacing the entire lockset — just part of it.
Some of these low-touch solutions are designed to suit the demands of specific vertical markets, such as paddle-style trim that’s added to existing locks in healthcare facilities. Doors equipped with these devices uphold patient safety by minimizing ligature points and can be opened easily even when hands are full.
Of course, many facilities are converting standard door operators to automatic models, and not all are fully electronic. Certain models of automatic door operators regenerate the energy expended when occupants open doors manually and use that energy to charge an onboard battery. This enables the door operator to operate automatically when necessary. Such models are particularly affordable, relatively speaking, when seeking to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
2. Privacy and Safety Monitors
In recent years, there has been a rapid and dramatic evolution in the security and privacy landscape in corporate facilities, retail stores, on college campuses and in public spaces across the United States. As gender-neutral restrooms, private areas for study and meditation and rooms for new mothers become more common, upholding privacy for these spaces is critical.
High-visibility mortise lock status indicators are an excellent solution for such spaces, because they enable people to assess quickly whether a door is secure or a space is occupied — even from a distance. For example, teachers in high-stress situations can determine quickly whether a door is locked from across the room simply by glancing at the color of the status indicator. Green or white means unlocked. Red signals locked.
The most effective mortise lock status indicators not only have large viewing windows, but they also include a reflective coating that facilitates visibility in low-light conditions and are designed to provide 180-degree, wide-angle visibility.
3. Lock Retrofits
Leading manufacturers offer multiple options to upgrade only the lock trim without having to replace the entire lockset. This can lead to a significant cost-savings.
For example, upgrading to contemporary high-visibility status indicators is quick and affordable through an upgrade kit that enables building owners to retrofit locksets as old as 20 years without changing the existing door preparation. Such upgrades leave no visible holes and enable building owners to make use of existing locks.
Retrofit options for hospitals and behavioral-health facilities provide tamper-resistant hardware and escutcheons that are sloped to minimize ligature and catch points. To minimize costs, these upgrades also enable facility managers to retain the existing locks.
4. Abuse Protection
Many spaces are subject to high traffic and abusive conditions. These include educational settings, behavioral-health facilities and even hotels and hospitals where luggage carts and gurney traffic can wreak havoc on door levers. Although often overlooked, the back sides of buildings, particularly retails shops, also can be highly vulnerable to vandalism.
If you seek to upgrade and secure such areas, be sure that the locking systems you choose for these doors are designed to be durable and proven to provide a long-life of reliable operation — even under abusive conditions. Specifically, look for products that have been tested and certified to ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 standards.
5. Patented Key Control
If a facility in question employs an older locking system, it’s likely that managers have lost track of keys along the way. This alone might pose enough of a security risk to warrant an upgrade.
But, unless a facility manager can control the duplication of keys tightly, a new keying system once again will become vulnerable to unauthorized use. Therefore, when upgrading locks, the first step in protecting a facility is to install a patented key system.
With a patented key system in place, a key-control agreement is issued by the key manufacturer and signed by the locksmith and the end user. Only this designated locksmith is authorized to duplicate keys, and it’s illegal for another party to produce a key that will work in the patented lock. This agreement protects all parties involved and enables legal recourse if the agreement were violated.
To uphold the key system’s integrity, be sure the keys are stored securely. Some manufacturers offer smart key cabinets that permit access only to authorized users via PIN, prox card or fingerprint scan. These cabinets maintain an electronic record of key removals and returns, including when the activity occurred and by whom, and generate a comprehensive audit trail. For an extra level of security, a digital image might be made of the person who accesses the cabinet.
Of course, the law is only an effective deterrent if the individuals involved respect it. Today’s most effective high-security locks, in addition to protecting against standard attacks, such as picking and drilling, also incorporate moving or magnetic components in the key and cylinder that safeguard against more-advanced attacks, including those that might employ the use of 3D-printed keys.
Upgrading mechanical door openings needn’t be complicated or costly. Look for products that require minimal changes to the door or door prep, regardless of the brand or type of product in use.
Also, as always, be sure to consider the facility’s mandated building codes and accessibility demands, including requirements related to ADA, UL and Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA).
David Higginson is director of business development for Corbin Russwin and SARGENT.
