David Forward, Managing Director of CCTV Monitoring, looks at how the use of access control is evolving on the construction site to manage environmental factors as well as security and time management.
Access control systems are rapidly evolving in the construction sector, with building contractors demanding much more than a stand-alone security system to manage their construction sites. We are seeing the growing adoption of intelligent access control systems that allow contractors to fulfil their environmental responsibilities in addition to managing personnel, health and safety and security.
As well as adhering to the statutory requirements of The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, a growing number of contractors are choosing to register with Considerate Contractors, a scheme that encourages best practice on construction sites, beyond statutory requirements. This demands an extra level of performance management with the Considerate Contractors’ Code of Practice requiring members to protect the environment, safety on site and their workforce, amongst other things.
For most contractors, implementing a standalone system for monitoring performance in these three key areas would be too costly in terms of both time and money. Instead, smart software is being used to create an intelligent access control system that is capable of managing security, health and safety and even the environmental impact of the workforce.
We recently supplied a sophisticated security and time management system to the construction site of a £13.7m leisure centre in Cheshire [pictured]. Access control software was integrated with the system to help the contractor to meet the requirements of the Considerate Contractors Scheme, whilst also helping them to improve time and attendance monitoring of workers and ensure the security of the site.
The system included CCTV, turnstile, biometric access control and smart software, allowing the project manager onsite to monitor worker attendance, security and fire roll call from one central system and produce reports instantly.
The latest biometric technology was used to provide a reliable and cost-effective way of monitoring worker attendance, whilst also ensuring that the site is kept secure at all times. By removing the need for additional access cards or fobs, the biometric access control system combats the potential problem of buddy clocking and pass back, which can prove costly to the contractor and also poses a potential security risk should unauthorised personnel manage to gain access to the site. The system also checks that CSCS cards are up to date, improving health and safety by preventing people gaining access to site who are not properly trained.
The system enables workers and subcontractors to register the majority of their details online prior to arrival, ensuring that the induction process is quick and easy to manage.
A spokesperson for the main contractors said: “Since beginning construction in December, we are already feeling the benefits of the Smart Access Control system provided by CCTV Monitoring. We are able to keep the construction site secure whilst also monitoring who is on site at all times, which is vital for health and safety and productivity.”
Smart access control systems are increasingly being used to improve KPI monitoring and security on construction sites. For companies that have joined the Considerate Contractors Scheme, however, smart access control provides additional benefits by allowing them to seamlessly monitor more complex variables such as carbon emissions and workforce locality.
It is likely that sustainability monitoring will become compulsory on many construction sites, particularly on public sector builds, in the future. With this, we expect to see smart, multi-facetted access control systems playing a key role in the success of ‘considerate’ construction.”
For more about Smart Access Control from CCTV Monitoring visit their website at www.cctvmon.com or telephone 01924 849 319.
