Administering the safety aspects of a large retail environment requires an expanded knowledge of security practices in order to make good decisions regarding the protection of the facility and its employees and visitors. Key control is high on the list as a state of the art security practice that offers both convenience and enhanced security for customers, staff and contractors in back-of-house and operational areas.
Key control cabinets store, release and track keys throughout a property. Each key is locked into place inside the key cabinet using a locking device which has an integrated chip, so a user who is pre-registered in the system can only remove a key which he or she has permission to use. Other keys stored in the cabinet remain locked in place when the user enters his or her access code or scans their card or fingerprint.
This streamlined procedure for accessing keys offers several advantages to users and management. For example, contractors, consultants and others who have been registered in the system using biometric fingerprint identification will no longer have to sign in and wait for a key to be issued. They simply place their finger on the key cabinet scanner to open the cabinet and access a key. Emergencies that occur during off hours can be more readily acted upon because contractors can access keys without having to wait for property management to arrive on scene. The system is also designed to detect any attempts of unauthorized key access and can react in the event of an incident with email or text alerts to designated personnel.
Activity reports of key usage such as movements by time, date and user code can be analyzed for improved control of access and security issues. The reporting capabilities can also act as a kind of employee or vendor time sheet, verifying hours that a contractor was on site.
