Guide to High Security SpeedGate

A guide to High Security SpeedGate/Flap Barrier 

As per Form No. 209 Issue 1.1

1. Introduction

A turnstile or entrance control system is designed to deter or completely stop unauthorised entrants, whilst enforcing the use of an access control system to ensure the ‘one token one person’ rule applies. Security levels vary depending on style and type of the products.

2. Scope

This guide provides details of the different style and type of turnstile systems, along with an indication of installation, interconnectivity and interoperability of available systems. Comparisons between styles and types are included to help in the specification of the correct product.

3. Terms and Abbreviations

Anti-pass back: Where the turnstile provides a return signal to the Access Control System to signal that user A has entered or exited the building. If user A then passes his proximity card to user B the access control system will know that this entry is potentially fraudulent and prevent access/egress.

Anti-piggybacking: Where methods have been put in place to avoid unauthorised people gaining access to a secured area by passing through in collusion with another person who does have authorisation.

Anti-tailgating: Where measures have been taken to avoid an unauthorised person following another through a secured entrance way, therefore achieving access without the authorised person’s knowledge or consent.

Biometric Control: The use of biological features i.e. Fingerprints, eyes, voice etc to ensure that the user is carrying their access control card and that fraudulent entry is not being gained by a 3rd party.

Breakaway force: The level of force, required by the turnstile user, to collapse the turnstile barrier or barriers to allow emergency escape.

DDA Compliance: Indicates whether a particular product is capable of allowing use by a disabled person. Previously this related to The Disability Discrimination Act, 1995. The applicable Act (except in Northern Ireland) is now The Equality Act 2010. For further information refer to BSIA Form 173, An Access Control Guide to Disability Discrimination.

DDA Disability Discrimination Act (see DDA Compliance)

Egress: The exit of a user from a building through a turnstile.

Fail safe: The turnstile will collapse or release all locking to allow non-secure egress during an emergency situation. Used in the majority of situations as part of a cohesive fire strategy.

Fail secure: During an emergency situation the turnstile will ensure that any user is not `trapped’ within the unit before locking to ensure that security is maintained in all situations.

Ingress: The entry of a user into a building through a turnstile.

Optical turnstiles: Turnstiles that monitor the number of transactions, and detect unauthorized entry and signal this through an alarm of some form rather than a physical barrier.

Return signal: A signal or pulse from a turnstile to signify that a user has activated/used/or carried out an unauthorised passage through the units.

Volumetric security: A security measure (normally used to prevent piggy-backing) where the physical volume of the turnstiles user is measured rather than purely the weight.

Weight sensing: A method of preventing piggy-backing by the turnstile weighing the occupant(s) of the turnstile during operation. If the weight exceeds the permissible weight of user, access will be denied.

4. Types

5. Security levels

The majority of waist height turnstiles are reliant on the user responsibility to prevent collusion between users enabling unauthorised ingress/egress.

Key:

1 Indicates whether a product of this type is typically DDA compliant. Products vary and compliance can be dependent on other circumstances 

2 Level of physical security in comparison with other types

3 Speed measured in persons per minute

4 Level of emergency access for this type of product 

5 DDA access possible depending on diameter

6. Typical Locations & Example Use

7. Systems Integration

Security turnstiles can be integrated with the following peripherals, with many physically integrated within the body of the units:

• Card readers; proximity and swipe, smart cards etc.

• Key pads

• Biometric systems

• Cameras

• Lift destination control

• Card collection systems

• People counters

• Coin/token collection

• Building Management systems

• Fire/intruder

• Asset protection

• Metal/explosive detection

• TCP/IP Ethernet networks

Care must be taken to ensure the access control reader choice is compatible with the usage and speed of the chosen turnstile. Proximity readers will provide higher flow of traffic, whilst bio-metric readers may be deemed inappropriate for an optical type turnstile.

8. Interconnection

Most turnstile manufacturers are fully compatible with the majority of access control systems in the market today, purely requiring a two door controller to control ingress and egress through the units.

Two separate inputs are required, per barrier, to operate the unit in each direction, in the majority of cases being a normally open, going closed connection.

Other inputs may include visitor access and override + modes and operation controls. The majority of units provide a fire alarm input to allow emergency egress, either allowing break-out or providing unhindered egress if required.

Outputs will give passage confirmation in each direction for accurate occupancy counting and appropriate use of the chosen security method. Alarm state outputs are provided, either remotely or within the unit, to indicate a security breach or misuse.

All newer products are capable of direct connection, control and monitoring over existing Ethernet networks ensuring full compatibility with IP Access Control, CCTV and Building Management Systems with no need for further connection.

9. Installation Requirements

Units will require a structurally sound, level surface to allow their installation and to ensure reliable operation, but specialist fixings can be used to allow installation on raised access floor and soft screed finishes.

All units will require a number of input and outputs which are facilitated by conduits located within the floor, the design of which should always be referred to the manufacturer for details.

In existing locations, where the user does not wish to damage the existing floor, the majority of turnstile types can be installed on raised plinths which allow the units to be easily removed, and does not necessitate the adaptation of floor finishes.

Full height units can be cabled from above which make the installation easier with less disruption being required to the floor.

10. Configuration

As a rough guide when calculating the number of turnstiles required the following formula (based upon 15% of the building population entering/exiting the building in a five minute period) can be used. However, it is highly recommend that all users consult with a reputable turnstile manufacturer for an accurate recommendation.

Total Installation Capacity (per Minute) = (Building Population x 15%) / 5

Standard Width Lanes: 500 – 660mm

This dimension is critical to ensure that two users cannot enter through the turnstiles `side by side’ thereby gaining unauthorised access.

Wheelchair Accessible Lanes: 900 – 940mm

Allows passage for wheelchair users and those with other impairments or who are in need of assistance.

Side Pass Gate:

Consideration may be given to the provision of alternative, supervised access for visitors, couriers and those with large luggage or parcels.

Barriers:

Most turnstile manufacturers will provide a variety of turnstile designs to suit the individual clients’ requirements, and to provide an aesthetically seamless appearance.

Standard configurations

11. Environmental Benefits

In conjunction with an access control system and connection to buliding management system turnstiles can facilitate savings on energy loss by detecting when certain building areas are unoccupied.

Most products use steel, stainless steel and glass along with recyclable plastics so can be recycled at end of life.

  

12. Insurance requirements

Many installations will benefit from high security turnstile systems in reducing premiums against loss or damages.

13. Service and Maintenance

It is recommended that a minimum of 1-2 preventative maintenance visits per annum are carried out on all turnstiles but in areas of high traffic flow or abuse additional maintenance visits may be appropriate.

14. Standards & legislations

For European Countries all products should comply with the requirements of the appropriate European Directives and be marked with a CE mark.

For America UL 325/3295 apply.

  

15. Summary

Security management plays an increasingly important role in today’s society, and ensuring you offer your customer the perfect access control solutions to meet their security needs is vital.

With the extensive range of security turnstiles available in the market today, each designed to suit different levels of security, you are sure to find the perfect solution that fits your requirements.

Seeking professional advice from a BSIA registered turnstile manufacturer prior to specifying a turnstile system is highly advised. Not only will they will be able to advise you on the best type of product suited to your required level of security, they can also provide recommendations on installation and access control integration.

Access control provides the ability to control, monitor and restrict the movement of people, assets or vehicles in, out and around a building or site. Products range from token based systems and digital keypads, through to biometric identification systems and the associated hardware.

Access control products are subject to fast-moving technological development. A major focus of the is to raise awareness amongst end-users and specifiers of the different types of equipment that is available and the most appropriate environments for using them.

Artical published on  Safe Secure Magazine - Dec 2017 issue.

How do I uninstall the HDCVI browser plugin

How do I uninstall the HDCVI browser plugin?

FOR WINDOWS:
Firstly, navigate to the Downloads folder and ensure that webplugins.exe isn’t already in theDownloads folder. If webplugins.exe is already in the Downloads folder, move it to the trash or delete that executable file.

Secondly, navigate to the C:\ Drive and, depending on the computer (whether the operating system is Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 10), you may need to search two locations to verify the old plugins aren’t currently installed:

C:\Program Files (x86)\webrec\WEB30\WebPlugin
or

C:\Program Files\webrec\WEB30\WebPlugin

If you were able to navigate to the webrec folder, navigate further to find uninst or uninstall.exe. Make sure all internet browsers are closed, Internet Explorer, Chrome, FireFox, etc. Open the Task Manager and make sure they’re not running any processes in the background.

Now run the uninstaller and make sure all the files are deleted by navigating back to the links provided above. If the folders aren’t empty, you will need to ensure you've closed out any browser that is still running. From here, you can go ahead and delete the webrec folder.

FOR MAC:
Firstly, navigate to your Downloads folder and clarify that webplugins.pkg isn’t already in theDownloads folder. If webplugins.pkg is already in the Downloads folder, move it to trash or delete that file.

Secondly, navigate to the Mac’s Library and find Installed Plug-ins. Use the file path provided below to navigate to:

Macintosh HD\Library\Internet Plug-Ins

If you were able to navigate to the Internet Plug-Ins folder, navigate further to find the files npmedia.bundleand npTimeGrid.bundle. Make sure all internet browsers are closed (Safari, Chrome, FireFox, etc).

Next, move these two listed files to the trash, npmedia.bundle and npTimeGrid.bundle.

What happens during a fingerprints scan

What happens during a fingerprints scan?

What is a Fingerprint?

The skin surface of the fingers, palms and soles of the feet is different to the rest of the body surface. If you look at the inner surface of your hands and soles of the feet you will see a series of lines made up of elevations which we call 'ridges' and depressions which we call 'furrows'.

These ridges and furrows can be recorded in many ways. For example, the ridges can be inked and placed on to a piece of paper. This would leave a fingerprint like below. The black lines represent the ridges and the white lines represent the furrows.

Within these patterns the ridges can split or end creating ridge characteristics. There are 6 types of ridge characteristics.

Everyone has a unique and different distribution of these characteristics that develop in the womb and are persistent throughout life.

It is the coincidence sequence of these characteristics that allow me to make identifications. The coincidence sequence is whereby I will find the same characteristics, in the same order with the same relationship to each other in both the crime scene fingerprint and the fingerprint on the form I am using.

Fingerprints unique:

It's pretty obvious why we have fingerprints—the tiny friction ridges on the ends of our fingers and thumbs make it easier to grip things. By making our fingers rougher, these ridges increase the force of friction between our hands and the objects we hold, making it harder to drop things. You have fingerprints even before you're born. In fact, fingerprints are completely formed by the time you're seven months old in the womb. Unless you have accidents with your hands, your fingerprints remain the same throughout your life.

Enrollment and verification

Suppose you're in charge of security for a large bank and you want to put a fingerprint scanning system on the main entry turnstile where your employees come in each morning. How exactly would it work?

There are two separate stages involved in using a system like this. First you have to go through a process called enrollment, where the system learns about all the people it will have to recognize each day. During enrollment, each person's fingerprints are scanned, analyzed, and then stored in a coded form on a secure database. Typically it takes less than a half second to store a person's prints and the system works for over 99% of typical users (the failure rate is higher for manual workers than for office workers).

Once enrollment is complete, the system is ready to use—and this is the second stage, known as verification. Anyone who wants to gain access has to put their finger on a scanner. The scanner takes their fingerprint, checks it against all the prints in the database stored during enrollment, and decides whether the person is entitled to gain access or not. Sophisticated fingerprint systems can verify and match up to 40,000 prints per second!

How fingerprint scanners work

a computer has to scan the surface of your finger very quickly and then turn the scanned representation into a code it can check against its database. How does this happen?

There are two main ways of scanning fingers. An optical scanner works by shining a bright light over your fingerprint and taking what is effectively a digital photograph. If you've ever photocopied your hand, you'll know exactly how this works. Instead of producing a dirty black photocopy, the image feeds into a computer scanner. The scanner uses a light-sensitive microchip (either a CCD, charge-coupled device, or a CMOS image sensor) to produce a digital image. The computer analyzes the image automatically, selecting just the fingerprint, and then uses sophisticated pattern-matching software to turn it into a code.

Another type of scanner, known as a capacitive scanner, measures your finger electrically. When your finger rests on a surface, the ridges in your fingerprints touch the surface while the hollows between the ridges stand slightly clear of it. In other words, there are varying distances between each part of your finger and the surface below. A capacitive scanner builds up a picture of your fingerprint by measuring these distances. Scanners like this are a bit like the touchscreens on things like iPhones and iPads.

Unlike ordinary digital photos, scans have to capture exactly the right amount of detail—brightness and contrast—so that the individual ridges and other details in the fingerprint can be accurately matched to scans taken previously. Remember that fingerprints might be used as evidence in criminal trials, where a conviction could result in a long jail sentence or even the death penalty. That's why "quality control" is such an important part of the fingerprint scanning process.

Here's how the process works with a simple optical scanner:

1.    A row of LEDs scans bright light onto the glass (or plastic) surface on which your finger is pressing (sometimes called the platen).

2.    The quality of the image will vary according to how you're pressing, how clean or greasy your fingers are, how clean the scanning surface is, the light level in the room, and so on.

3.    Reflected light bounces back from your finger, through the glass, onto a CCD or CMOS image sensor.

4.    The longer this image-capture process takes, the brighter the image formed on the image sensor.

5.    If the image is too bright, areas of the fingerprint (including important details) may be washed out completely—like an indoor digital photo where the flash is too close or too bright. If it's too dark, the whole image will look black and details will be invisible for the opposite reason.

6.    An algorithm tests whether the image is too light or too dark; if so, an audible beep or LED indicator alerts the operator and we go back to step 1 to try again.

7.    If the image is roughly acceptable, another algorithm tests the level of detail, typically by counting the number of ridges and making sure there are alternate light and dark areas (as you'd expect to find in a decent fingerprint image). If the image fails this test, we go back to step 1 and try again.

8.    Providing the image passes these two tests, the scanner signals that the image is OK to the operator (again, either by beeping or with a different LED indicator). The image is stored as an acceptable scan in flash memory, ready to be transmitted (by USB cable, wireless, Bluetooth, or some similar method) to a "host" computer where it can be processed further. Typically, images captured this way are 512×512 pixels (the dimensions used by the FBI), and the standard image is 2.5cm (1 inch) square, 500 dots per inch, and 256 shades of gray.

9.    The host computer can either store the image on a database (temporarily or indefinitely) or automatically compare it against one or many other fingerprints to find a match.

The matching algorithm finds out whether there is a match by comparing two templates extracted by the characteristic point extraction algorithm, specifically by comparing the positions of each characteristic point and the structure.