Running at the same time as IFSEC Connect is Workplace Wellbeing Conference, online from June 1 to 30. Charlotte Geoghegan, organiser of the event, said: “As well as those with health anxiety, there are also a lot of people experiencing social anxiety as we ease out of lockdowns. After a year or so of interacting with only a small number of people face-to-face, a lot of people will find it overwhelming to mix with large groups again. Employers should consider the fact that not everyone experiencing anxiety will have a diagnosed anxiety disorder and some employees might not understand what they’re feeling or why.”
Wearing masks is compulsory in many workplaces, shops and when entering restaurants and bars as one of the steps the public are urged to take for their personal health and safety during the pandemic. Behind the scenes many firms are working to project citizens against COVID and ensure the return to the office is as safe and secure as possible.
With the rise of hybrid working – some employees working from home and some from the office, how do businesses ensure they are able to use their office space, as well as maintaining physical security with people leaving and entering the building at potentially all hours of the day? One way is with smart – or intelligent – building technology. Not only can this ensure firms are managing their fixed assets effectively but can help to reduce environmental impact.
Ahead of speaking at online security event IFSEC Connect 2021 John Davies, Managing Director of TDSi, the UK supplier of integrated access control systems who is a member of the British Security Industry Association is due to talk about the ways in which the security industry is using technology to create ‘smart buildings’.
Biometrics scanning: Gaining access to buildings using biometrics technology is on the increase. Security firms are creating the concept of ‘smart buildings’ whereby the objective is to reduce physical contact points moving in and out of offices and commercial properties while still keeping things secure. Biometrics which includes fingerprints, facial recognition and iris identification can help people access buildings without touching anything, while providing secure confirmation of identity as biometrics authentication is much more difficult to replicate or clone than a magnetic swipe card.
Mobile phone access: A recent trend report by IFSEC found that access control is rapidly moving to mobile – so using your phone to get access to buildings rather than cards is a much more secure way to gain access to offices or other commercial properties.
The Home Office’s Surveillance Camera Commissioner Professor Fraser Sampson is speaking at IFSEC Connect 2021 on the role of surveillance and CCTV in ensuring safety as we return to the office.
Video surveillance
Thermal imaging: Security surveillance now has the ability to identify features on individuals such as measuring elevated temperature, mask detection, social distancing analytics and occupancy management to ensure capacity
AI and deep learning software: Video analytics are by no means new to security. Their benefits have been touted for several years, but the technology behind the software continues to evolve. AI and deep learning software are now adding value to surveillance cameras. Analytics software integrated within network connected cameras provides security operators with a much clearer picture.
AI is making it possible for businesses to spot potential issues or threats before they arise. Object classification has improved so that devices are now able to differentiate between actual threats for example a group of loitering individuals and false alarms – a stray cat setting off alarms at 3am in an operations centre.
Footfall analysis: This provides managers with an understanding of customer movements in store and helps capacity management and social distancing.
The onset of a pandemic showed how analytics has advanced. Within weeks, security vendors had developed and updated their software with analytics to support businesses operate safely under government guidelines. While the likes of social distancing analytics, face mask detection, occupancy/density monitoring and elevated body temperature solutions may not all be necessities in the long term, the speed at which the security sector can provide operational solutions was clear.
With more of us moving towards ‘hybrid working’, smart buildings are set to become increasingly important for managing office space, reducing operational costs and complying with sustainability. Inevitably the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of change. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), prior to COVID-19 only around 5pc of the workforce worked mainly from home. Furthermore, research from CIPD shows that 65pc of employers either did not offer regular working from at home or offered it to less than 10pc of their workforce.
However, this is set to change with many people now looking to move to ‘hybrid working’ in the post-pandemic era, balancing their time between working from home and travelling into the office. For many employers this requires not only a cultural shift, but also a physical shift as businesses look to re-assess their office requirements.
Danny Harmer, Chief People Officer at insurance firm Aviva – which has 16,000 UK workers – said 95pc of its workers would like to be able to spend some of their time working flexibly and remotely in different locations, while recruitment firm Adecco, which has 34,000 workers, said about four-fifths of its staff now work remotely.
Facial recognition
One company which offers an AI-based video analytics solution to make buildings safer and smarter is Ipsotek. Its solution allows someone managing a commercial building to link their access control system with facial recognition technology for identification purposes, as well as to ensure that social distancing measures are adhered to.
Ahead of speaking at the Intelligent Buildings Europe Connect Conference Chris Bishop, Ipsotek’s Sales Director APAC and Marketing Director says: “Your face is your passport. With facial recognition you almost do away with the need for access cards which also increases your security level.” However, Bishop admits that facial recognition needs to be used ‘appropriately’ without breaching human rights and that the technology isn’t completely fool-proof. “There are some companies which claim they can accurately detect a face with a facemask on and even with sunglasses, but I would say they are not being honest with everyone else.”
Like Ipsotek, Videx Security also focuses on offering smart building. According to James Gray, Videx’s National Sales Manager, the company has seen a massive increase in interest in contactless access, particularly since the pandemic. It has recently introduced the WS4, which enables businesses to control up to 20 entrances locally or remotely from anywhere via a tablet, PC or even a mobile phone app.
“Whereas before you would have to send an engineer to the site to add key fobs manually, now access can be controlled remotely,” Gray says.
