Access control is essential for all businesses to protect people and assets and has the added benefit of being expanded from controlling, for example, a single entrance door, to a large integrated security network. There is also huge potential in terms of integrating HR and other systems, such as Time and Attendance, Visitor Management, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Fire, Intruder and CCTV, which can cut costs and streamline administration costs.

Utility companies have never been more vulnerable than in today’s climate, where threats to security include terrorism, natural disaster, theft and internal crime. The protection of key facilities such as water treatment works, power plants, remote sites and network infrastructure (particularly electricity substations) is also high on the political agenda. Security businesses must establish long lasting partnerships with the key players in the Utilities sector in a bid to offer solutions with longevity. Due to the nature of many of the remote sites in this sector, companies are looking for robust solutions, security systems offering physical security as well as flexibility in terms of access control. Remote locations have to be secure, yet accessible 24 hours a day.

Maintenance visits are irregular and often conducted by different staff. Keys constantly change hands, increasing the security risk and potentially resulting in theft, vandalism or even terrorist attack. The Utilities sector is characterised by its large number of remote locations but also multi-site offices and production facilities that are used by a variety of people on a daily basis. In some cases, facilities managers or security managers are based on site, but a physical security presence is not necessarily the norm. This makes the definition of user groups, security zones, access authorisation profiles and a suitable access control system a necessity.

The Norec Limited Liverpool Bulk Terminal dock at Bootle is a coal importing facility and supplies the various power stations of the energy giant E.ON. Norec stores and distributes the coal via road and rail, and runs and performs maintenance on the Merseyside site on behalf of E.ON. Jimmy Finch, Deputy Supervisor and Engineering Planner, explains the requirements the Terminal had for a reliable smart card attendance and security regime: “As this is an E.ON site, we do get the occasional threats from people, such as protestors. People are visiting us all week, and we needed a secure access and time and attendance system that would match our special requirements.”

After checking various products available on the market, the depot chose a BSIA member company to provide a smart card time and attendance and access control system, which also incorporates a fire roll call monitoring facility, where the dock’s employees use contactless smart cards to clock in and out, or to book jobs and absences. Jimmy continues: “With the smart cards, our employees are the only ones allowed on site. They can gain access and then use the clocking system.” He goes on to explain how the access control system triggers the opening and closing of the site’s security gate. “They had no problem in connecting the new gate to the access system – the guy sorted it out and it was up and running within three days,” he remarked. Jimmy particularly likes the fact that the control of the safety gates is automatic. “Now, no-one can get on site without using a card to go through the gates, so the system works very well as far as security is concerned.” [www.bsia.co.uk]