Subscriber Discussion

Monitor Staff Working Alone With An EAC System?

DM
Duncan Miller
Jun 23, 2013

OSHA requires a working alone policy for staff which usually requires staff to check in every 15 or 30 mins. I was wondering if anyone has used an existing access control system to do this. For example staff member swipes into room after hours if the staff member doesn't swipe another reader or the original reader within a pre determined time an event is sent to the monitoring station and monitoring follow procedures to contact or locate staff member.

Thoughts on this? Is it doable in any existing card access systems?

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Daniel S-T
Jun 23, 2013

I've done this with buttons, but not with EAC.

I guess the easiest way to do this would be to find a product that allows a really long relay time. Then it's treated almost like a door, you swiop the card, relay changes state for 20 minutes, shunt time of 25 minutes. After the 20 minutes expired a sounder/strobe goes off as a warning, if still no swipe after 25 minutes the auxillary relay will trip and trip an alarm panel output, or even e-mail depending on the system.

I'll see if I can fire up my keyscan client (only EAC manufacturer I really have any experience with) and see what kind of delay times they offer.

JH
John Honovich
Jun 23, 2013
IPVM

I don't know who does this, but it seems a fairly straightforward software feature to add to an EAC system. It strikes me the hardware is all already there, all you need is the business logic and data input for tracking:

  • what user / card to monitor
  • what times to monitor
  • maximum time between check ins

With those three parameters, the system would simply check once a minute - for each user / card to monitor, if it is during the time to monitor, if the time now minus last time user has checked in is greater than the maximum time between check ins, generate an alert.

U
Undisclosed
Jun 23, 2013

Dear Duncan,

Which access system being used in their facility?

Nowdays it's common option in most of the access control system, see below reference...

G4S

Lenel Guard Tour (SWG-1130)

Maxxess eTour

We can achieve the requirement by two method, if existing system is well-known brand we can aceive this function by upgrading their software OR we can try as per daniel idea with relay and timer...

Regards,

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Daniel S-T
Jun 23, 2013

Relays and timers, it's old school but it does work, haha

DM
Duncan Miller
Jun 23, 2013

The functionality required somewhat like a guard tour but there can't be any predefined routes as the places and times the staff will be working will always change.

As for relays and timer this would be almost impossible as the facilities span a whole city and the shear size of the system is huge. PLC's maybe but I think it would be nice to use a EAC system rather then install more equipment.

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Daniel S-T
Jun 23, 2013

Well an EAC system is essential a more advanced set of relays and timers...I meant using the EAC as the relay/timer.

U
Undisclosed
Jun 24, 2013

This can be achieved through guard tour system... in one of the critical infra they use card readers for guard patrol. For example on the entire perimeter area they have installed around 10 card readers.

Every time guard will swipes the card with pin (when staring the patrol) which will activate the guard tour real-time alert in central control room. if he not swiped the card in next reader in perdermined time (10min), in central control room they get real-time alert of delay swipes. So they can take necessary next action such as monitor the location through CCTV/sent guards to check those areas to find out the reasion for delay.

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