Security systems can Enforce New Rules and Improve Compliance

Building owners and managers manage safety and security concerns every day, but they face unique challenges as people return to offices during a pandemic

In a global survey of 2,000 workers conducted by Wakefield Research*, 68% of the global workforce do not feel completely safe working in their employer's buildings. For those working remotely, 75% are especially skeptical about the safety of worksites.

This number is even higher for those working remotely: 75% are especially skeptical about the safety of worksites.

Employees and other occupants want to know that your building is not just safer, but also healthier.

The first challenge: Implementing new policies and practices.

The second challenge: Sustaining compliance with new and changing regulations.

Does your commercial building have safety and security systems in place that can help address these challenges?

How integrated security systems help reduce risk and sustain compliance

Adapting integrated security to your healthy building strategy increases oversight and control of critical health, safety and security factors. This can help you sustain compliance amid changing building standards, safety guidelines and regulations, as well as your own risk-management policies. And integrated monitoring gives you the information to show occupants, transparently, that your site is safe to use.

Leveraging existing building systems including HVAC, which provides and manages air quality, and integrated security systems that govern the facility usage patterns, can play a vital role in reducing the risk of disease transmission and the spread of other pathogens.

An occupancy management system can help monitor the overall building occupancy as well as specific space usage, such as setting the capacity of and monitoring the use of meeting rooms.

Access control systems where only authorized entry is allowed are also beneficial. For example:

• Frictionless access control enables entry to gated facility parking using automatic number place recognition (ANPR).
• Touchless access control eliminates contact with frequently touched surfaces by using integrated technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), Bluetooth, and passive infrared motion sensors (PIR), among others.

Access control systems can also be used to create compliance reports – for example, for contact tracing in locations that require a key card for entry. If a person is known or suspected of having been infected, then any people who might have been exposed by accessing the same locations can be identified based on the day and time of their access.

It’s never been more important to be well informed and prepared to take action

This article just scratches the surface. Visit our online library to learn more about commercial building challenges today and what you can do to be safe, secure, and return ready.

Inside our online library of safety and security resources you’ll find:

• Anatomy of a healthy building: An analysis of safety and security elements to help create healthier spaces
• 9 ways to use your security system to know it’s safer and show it’s safer
• How to reduce building risk to secure business opportunities
• People counting: How video analytics can help you comply with new government regulations for operating at a certain percentage of overall capacity
• And more…

Take advantage of our online library to learn more about safety, security and making your commercial building return ready.

*The study surveyed 2,000 people who typically work in buildings with 500+ employees in the following markets: U.S. (500), U.K. (500), Germany (500) and the Middle East (500), between November 19th and December 1st, 2020.