Physical Access Control

Access control is a means of controlling who enters a location and when. The person entering may be an employee, a contractor or a visitor and they may be on foot, driving a vehicle or using another mode of transport. The location they’re entering may be, for example, a site, a building, a room or any space, generally.

When we talk about a physical access control system, we’re usually referring to an electronic security system. They typically use an identifier such as an access card to authorize people to enter certain areas. And, as they’re capable of logging who accessed where and when, they can provide valuable data to help you track how your buildings and sites are being used.

Although one of its primary uses is to increase security, a physical access control system can offer many other benefits too. Including the improved efficiency of your business processes and site or building management.

We tend to call it physical access control to differentiate it from access control that prevents people from entering virtual spaces; digital access control (for example when logging into a computer network).