CCTV Rack Selection

CCTV Rack Selection

A rack unit (abbreviated U or RU) is a unit of measure defined as 1.75 inches (44.45 mm). Height of equipment that mounts in these frames, whereby the height of the frame or equipment is expressed as multiples of rack units. For example, a typical full-size rack cage is 42U high, while equipment is typically 1U, 2U, 3U, or 4U high.

The rack unit size is based on a standard rack specification as defined in EIA-310. The Eurocard specifies a standard rack unit as the unit of height; it also defines a similar unit, horizontal pitch (HP), used to measure the width of rack-mounted equipment.

A front panel or filler panel in a rack is not an exact multiple of 1.75 inches (44.45 mm). To allow space between adjacent rack-mounted components, a panel is  ¹⁄₃₂ inch (0.031 inch or 0.79 mm) less in height than the full number of rack units would imply. Thus, a 1U front panel would be 1.719 inches (43.66 mm) high. If n is number of rack units, the formula for panel height is h = (1.750n − 0.031) for calculating in inches, and h = (44.45n − 0.79) for calculating in mm.

A typical full size rack is 42U, which means it holds just over 6 feet (1.8 m) of equipment, and a typical "half-height" rack would be 18–22U, or around 3 feet (0.91 m) high.

The term "half-rack" can have different separate meanings:

·        It can describe equipment that fits in a certain number of rack units, but occupy only half the width of a 19-inch rack (9.5 inches (241.30 mm)). These are commonly used when a piece of equipment does not require full rack width, but may require more than 1U of height. For example, a "4U half-rack" DVCAM deck would occupy 4U (7 in) height × 9.5 in width, and in theory, two 4U half-rack decks could be mounted side by side and occupy the 4U space.

·        It can also describe a unit that is 1U high and half the depth of a 4-post rack (such as a network switch, router, KVM switch, or server), such that two units can be mounted in 1U of space (one mounted at the front of the rack and one at the rear).

·        When used to describe the rack enclosure itself, the term "half-rack" typically means a rack enclosure that is half the height (22U tall). 

Rack units are universally the same, but the type of thread can vary depending on the rack. Mounting rails can be No. 10-32 tapped (Unified Thread Standard), No. 12-24 tapped, metric M6 threaded or universal square holes. Universal square holes are becoming the most common as these allow the insertion of replaceable cage nuts for the type of thread needed.

Conversion table
Rack unit	inches	mm	cm
1U	1.75	44.45	4.45
2U	3.5	88.9	8.89
3U	5.25	133.35	13.34
4U	7	177.8	17.78
5U	8.75	222.25	22.23
6U	10.5	266.7	26.67
7U	12.25	311.15	31.12
8U	14	355.6	35.56
9U	15.75	400.05	40.01
10U	17.5	444.5	44.45
11U	19.25	488.95	48.90
12U	21	533.4	53.34
13U	22.75	577.85	57.79
14U	24.5	622.3	62.23
15U	26.25	666.75	66.68
16U	28	711.2	71.12
17U	29.75	755.65	75.57
18U	31.5	800.1	80.01
19U	33.25	844.55	84.46
20U	35	889	88.90
21U	36.75	933.45	93.35
22U	38.5	977.9	97.79
23U	40.25	1022.35	102.24
24U	42	1066.8	106.68
25U	43.75	1111.25	111.13
26U	45.5	1155.7	115.57
27U	47.25	1200.15	120.02
28U	49	1244.6	124.46
29U	50.75	1289.05	128.91
30U	52.5	1333.5	133.35
31U	54.25	1377.95	137.80
32U	56	1422.4	142.24
33U	57.75	1466.85	146.69
34U	59.5	1511.3	151.13
35U	61.25	1555.75	155.58
36U	63	1600.2	160.02
37U	64.75	1644.65	164.47
38U	66.5	1689.1	168.91
39U	68.25	1733.55	173.36
40U	70	1778	177.80
41U	71.75	1822.45	182.25
42U	73.5	1866.9	186.69

Top Considerations When Buying A CCTV Server Rack

1. Know Your Server Rack Cooling Strategy

With the heat generated by current denser technologies such as Blade Servers, understanding the role that server racks play in your complete data center cooling strategy is essential. The type of rack you choose will depend on the cooling methods used in your environment. The baseline kW of heat output per rack varies widely, depending on type and density of equipment, and can be anywhere from 4 kW-12 kW or more per rack, with some experts estimating that the rise of high-density environments and designs for future equipment will result in an output of 30-50 kW per rack.

Fully Perforated Server Racks: Select a fully perforated rack for maximum air flow if the primary method of cooling in your data center or server room will be ambient air cooling (fans, air handlers, blowers, and/or Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) units and a raised floor).

Fully-Sealed Server Racks: Choose a fully-sealed rack if a liquid cooling unit or rack air conditioner will be used in your environment.

Rack Air Conditioning & Liquid Cooling

As power-intensive applications and server densities have increased, Liquid Cooling Units (modular, temperature-neutral high-density cooling solutions that utilize air/water heat exchangers to provide uniform, effective cooling) are increasingly being used. One of the main benefits of self-contained liquid cooling units is that they result in little or no impact on the existing HVAC system. Liquid cooling units are mounted at the rack base, in a rack “side car” with three cooling modules possible per equipment rack, and can provide a total cooling capacity of 30kW.

Below are formulas to help estimate the heat load of a rack and select an appropriate sized air conditioner:

·        Add up the wattage of each device and convert it to BTUs (a device’s manual usually lists its wattage). You can also determine wattage with the following formula (Watts=Volts X Amps) where 1,000 Watts=1kW.

·        If a rack air conditioner will be used, consider that approximately 3,400 BTU is generated for every 1 kW consumed. Air conditioners are rated for different BTU levels, so select a unit that will provide adequate cooling for the estimated BTUs generated.

Rack Airflow Tips

Other ways to improve cooling include using blanking panels to manage air flow efficiency, selecting a rack with built-in channels for better cable management and improved air flow, and removing any obsolete or unnecessary equipment from the rack. In addition, consider that 3-phase power can significantly increase available amperage into the server rack, reducing the overall number of PDUs needed to power equipment and leaving more space for airflow.

Server Rack Placement in Data Center / Server Room

Rising energy costs are compelling many to rethink their IT practices and reduce power consumption by implementing energy efficiency best practices. Proper planning including hot / cold isles containment strategies, managing current and future hot spots, and continued monitoring the heat dissipation in your data center will help you increase existing cooling capacity. Sealing cable openings in the raised floor with grommets is also key.

2. Consider The Latest Power Technologies

Power Distribution Units (PDUs) evenly disperse power to servers over the entire power strip. Rack mount power strips are specifically made for server racks and mount vertically or behind mounting posts in the back portion of a cabinet. Power strips fall into two categories: standard and intelligent.

While standard power strips have some features that can provide valuable information, such as fuse replacement indicators and current output displays, they must be managed in-person and on-site. In contrast, intelligent power strips provide remote power control, which allows administrators to perform a cold reboot of servers and devices and troubleshoot problems from any location with an internet connection, reducing server downtime and getting vital business functions back online quickly. Remote power products not only provide intelligent control of attached systems, they also allow administrators to leverage leading advances in power distribution, such as 3-Phase power.

Three-Phase power technology is not exclusive to remote power management products, but many solutions can accommodate or incorporate it. Compared to single-phase power, 3-Phase power uses fewer circuits, provides a more balanced power load, reduces the overall number of PDUs needed to power equipment, and significantly increases available amperage into the server rack. As an example, in a traditional rack environment, 20-amp circuits would be required for 64 amps of available power (assuming a maximum 80% load). In contrast, a 3-phase circuit can provide up to 51.6 amps per circuit, or more than 82 amps of available power, while only requiring 2 circuits (assuming a maximum 80% load). The cost savings of 3-Phase power is beneficial, especially since experts estimate that in the future, electricity costs could rise from current levels of 10 percent or less of IT budgets to 20-30 percent (3). Other power-related aspects to keep in mind include the number of outlets you will need, plug/receptacle requirements, and redundancy requirements.

3. Select An Appropriately-Sized Rack

Select a server rack with sufficient internal space to house your current equipment and ensure that you have ample space to accommodate planned future expansion as well as any unplanned equipment purchases. Rack mount equipment is measured in the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) standard “Rack Units” or Rack “U”. One “Rack Unit” is equal to 1.75″ in height. Keep in mind that space for accessories, such as environmental monitoring devices, remote power management devices, rack mount LCD monitors, and battery back-up, may be necessary. For example, if you need to accommodate 20 2U servers, you would likely want to choose a rack with a height of 44U to accommodate accessories such as a 1U patch panel, as well as a 2U UPS back-up battery. A rack’s internal height is measured from the tallest point of any side rail to the bottom chassis; internal depth is measured from the insides of both front and rear doors; and internal width is measured from one side panel to the other. Be sure that the rack’s external dimensions can be accommodated in the floor space allotted for it, check that it can be safely moved through all doorways, and ensure that its placement meets any relevant clearance or safety regulations. As a note, always use appropriate rack-loading techniques, including placing heavy items at the bottom of the rack to prevent a rack from becoming too top-heavy, have a plan about what you want to put toward the front and back of the rack (based on how much you will need to access or remove equipment), and have someone help load equipment that is heavy and/or above the height of your head.

4. Physical Security Starts Here

Proper security is vital to the overall well-being and the function of your business. Knowing how your server rack fits into your overall security strategy is just as important. There are several measures you can take to improve the security of the racks and equipment in your data center. To begin with, consider purchasing server racks that have locking front and rear doors, as many models offer this option. Some newer racks can have the option for Smart Card – CAC access control. Second, use environmental monitoring devices to proactively monitor your racks. In addition to allowing administrators to continuously monitor amperage draw per circuit, water leaks, temperature, and other variables, and sending alerts automatically via SMTP/SMS/SNMP when conditions exceed established thresholds, several environmental monitoring devices have door sensors that support “normally open” or “normally closed” conditions and can alert administrators when a cabinet door has been opened. (When a change in state relative to its defined threshold occurs, the device reports an “error” condition.) In addition, there are devices available that work with docked camera pods and sensor pods to allow administrators to continually visually monitor server racks and rooms, as well as record audio clips. If you are planning a new data center, you might also consider additional physical security measures such as building the data center away from a main road, limiting windows in the data center, and providing secure entrances and exists.

5. Tailor Your Rack Design To Work For You

Most manufacturers will allow you to select from many options, so that your server rack meets the specific requirements of your environment. There are several common areas that you should be able to select options from.

·        Shelving: Most manufacturers offer several server rack shelf options, including adjustable or fixed server shelves with four-point mounting; sliding keyboard shelves with 2-point mounting; vented, heavy-duty, or cantilever shelves; and media shelves. Choose a server rack shelf with a depth of 6 inches less than the overall depth of the rack-for example, if you have a 30-inch deep cabinet, choose a shelf with a depth of 24 inches.

·        Top and Side Panels: Top panels protect equipment from foreign materials. Options include perforated slots for added ventilation, grommet holes for supplementary cable management pathways, and mounting for exhaust fans. Side panels offer security and are often available in several options: solid fixed, solid removable, and solid with vents (louvered).

·        Mounting Rails: Most racks come with two sets of mounting rails. However, additional sets of rails can be ordered to accommodate different depths and facilitate rack loading. Most manufacturers allow you to choose from Universal Mounting Rails (square holes fitted with cage nuts) or EIA Standard rails (with 10/32 tapped holes). Universal rails will support 19″ EIA width rackmount and networking equipment and almost all server equipment. EIA Standard Mounting Rails support 19″ EIA width rackmount and networking equipment and some server manufacturers’ rack mounting equipment. Whether the rails have square or tapped holes, all mounting rails comply with the ANSI/EIA-310-D standard (1992). Most major enclosure manufacturers recommend rails with square holes and cage nuts, and currently most off-the-shelf rack models utilize rails with square holes.

·        Feet: Available “feet” options include retractable anti-tip feet to stabilize mid-to top-heavy loaded racks; casters that attach to the bottom of server cabinets to help maneuver racks; and levelers that should be used if casters are implemented to ensure that the rack remains level once it has been moved from one place to another.

Security Systems for Healthcare Sector

A guide to Security Systems for Healthcare Sector

A healthcare facility or hospital is generally open 24 X 7 and is open to the public. Providing a welcoming and safe environment for patients, staff and visitors while protecting millions of Indian rupee in technology and expensive  equipment is a challenge, patient records and confidentiality that needs constant protection, parking and door access control needs and medicines that need to be kept safe. Use of Closed Circuit Television Camera System is comprehensive security solution and is a crime prevention tactic for many hospitals. However, if a camera is not properly positioned or is not functioning correctly, this proactive security measure is wasted.

1.   Access Control:

Access control provides the ability to control, monitor and restrict the movement of people, assets or vehicles, in, out and around a health care building. Example, a single entrance door, to a large integrated security network. There is also huge potential in terms of integrating HR and other systems, such as Time and Attendance, Visitor Management, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Fire, Intruder and CCTV, which can cut costs and streamline administration costs.

Health care are not only made up of members of staff who will be there on a daily basis, but also patients and a large volume of visitors passing through the premises. Furthermore, an abundance of confidential documents such as patients' notes will be stored on the premises of the hospital or residential care home as well as a range of medication. Consequently, electronic access control systems are increasingly being used to enhance safety and security in hospitals and nursing homes to enable access only to the people with the necessary authority.

A. The physical barrier – to physically restrict access to a building or location via such methods as:

•        Doors; secured by either a magnetic or strike lock and can be revolving or sliding.

•        Turnstiles and speedgates; designed to limit access to one person for one card presented.

•        Car park barriers to limit vehicular access to only those that have authority.

B. The identification device – there are a number of different technologies used to identify users of an access control system, including the following:

•        A proximity card and reader using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) – cards can either work at a short read range or a long read range.

•        A smart card and reader / PIN Pads

•        Biometric (for example, fingerprint and iris scanning etc).

B. The door controller and software – The door controller and software are at the heart of the system and are used to decide who can gain access through which access point at what time of day. These can vary dependent on the size of the system and how many readers or sites you are trying to control from one point. Some of the options include:

•        A stand-alone door controller linked to a single door with no software.

•        A number of door controllers all linked together to a single PC to control one site.

•        A number of sites all interlinked together over a wide network area.

Main benefits:

Visitor monitoring - In an environment with a fleeting number of patients and visitors, the use of PC and computer networks should be considered. These systems can print photographic ID and allow access to be restricted to certain areas within the hospital or residential care home. Moving to a software solution for visitor management is an easy and inexpensive solution and can provide a number of added benefits.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) - For hospitals and residential care homes where a large volume of staff, patients and visitors will be driving in and parking on-site, ANPR is a feasible option. To monitor the entrance of vehicles on-site, CCTV-style cameras and computer software can be used to identify number plates of vehicles. Some systems can also store photographs of the driver and vehicle for subsequent analysis. This sophisticated software allows critical information to be passed to the police to assist in the pursuit, identification and capture of offenders.

Key considerations:

The outcome of a thorough risk assessment for your hospital or residential care home will determine the level of security you require and in turn influence your choice of access control system. Access Control systems should cover the following areas:

•        Parking areas – Proper parking management arrangement is required for visitor, guest care. 

•        Accounts Room – Includes locker room, cash counter and emergency department doors.

•        Server Room – Include main server / network room alongwith floor wise Switch room. Work with your legal advisors to ensure the Reader / Locks is properly controlled.

•        Pharmacy areas – In addition to Access door control, this is an area that needs special security control because of the medications being stored here.

•        Other areas – This could include anywhere special or expensive equipment is housed, ICU, Utility Room per floors, HR room, Procurement working area or other areas that are deemed important or vulnerable.

The placement and number of Access doors and their scopes of uses / access rights should be properly documented and continually evaluated and updated by the security team during quaterly facility assessments.

Legislation:

The Disability Discrimination Act was amended in 2005 and has significant impact not only in terms of the design of new systems, but also means that many systems may need to be upgraded to ensure compliance. This is of particular importance also for the healthcare sector as staff, patients and visitors will all need to have adequate and user-friendly access to the building.

2.   Video Surveillance Systems

System consisting of camera equipment, storage, monitoring and associated equipment for transmission and controlling purposes, sometime called Video Surveillance System (VSS). Urgent care centers, healthcare facilities or hospitals and residential care homes are perfect locations for video surveillance. Hospital CCTV and surveillance cameras allow you to effectively monitor large areas with minimal manpower while helping to increase security and control costs. Patients and employees can feel safer and security breaches can be held in held in check. Surveillance can help to provide visual evidence in case of incidents, help to increase productivity and to prevent false claims. With newer HD surveillance cameras can be monitored from several locations at once so all security personnel can access a live feed at all times.

Main benefits:

Safety & Security – Security cameras installed throughout a hospital or residential care home prevent crime, medical insurance claims, break-ins, and allow security operators to monitor the property for patients in trouble or unauthorized visitors in restricted areas.

Dishonest claims – False claims can be a big problem for hospitals or residential care home. Visitors and patients will sometimes falsely claim to have been injured while on hospital property, having detailed visual footage from the hospitals security cameras can help to disprove such claims. This helps to save the hospital from paying out large unwarranted insurance claims.

Digital HD Storage – Digital storage from security cameras has many advantages for Hospitals or residential care home. Cameras systems enable the hospital to store digital recorded footage onto digital video recorders with large capacity hard-drives. This footage can then be easily accessed by authorized users. Since the video footage is digital, searching for a specific time or date is instant and this allows for more improved searching capabilities. Recommended to store video feed 90days.

Visual Evidence – When investigators need help solving an incident or crime, surveillance cameras will provide them with the visual evidence the need. Best of all your surveillance system can backup incidents directly to a USB drive, email or network drive so they may continue the investigation from there police station.

Employee disputes – When you have clear, detailed proof on video employee disputes can easily be resolved. Incidents in question can solve disputes quickly when using surveillance cameras.

24hr Real-time Monitoring – Hospital or residential care home cameras can be monitored or viewed from various different platforms such as Video wall, PC, Mac, iPhone and Android.

Video Monitoring – With iPad and Tablet supported digital video recorders hospital or residential care home employees can easily monitor specific areas from anywhere on the local network. Employees can even monitor their stations and hallways from another building of floor.

Proper placement of a CCTV system should be based on the risks identified through security assessments and insights gained from prior security challenges. Your security team can assist with recommendations for placement and should be in charge of monitoring the system and ensuring it is operating correctly.

Key considerations:

• Public entrances and exits – Includes exterior views of all vehicular entrances (main entrance) and exits to the hospital or residential care home, and all interior and exterior views of doors, delivery points and loading docks. Camera should be Minimum vandal proof with Megapixel resolution.

• Parking areas – Includes garages and gated parking lots. This can also include garage stairwells and dimly lit areas if your cameras have backlighting & megapixel resolution.

• Waiting areas – Includes outpatient and emergency department visitor areas. Camera should be Minimum vandal proof with Megapixel resolution.

• Emergency Department – Cameras in this area can be very useful as many violent events occur here. Be mindful of viewing and recording, and if you are using mega pixel vandal proof cameras for observing patient watches, review of the CMS Conditions of Participation requirements.

• Nurses’/administration stations – Vandal proof mega pixel cameras can ensure everyone’s safety at all stations. Work with your legal advisors to ensure the cameras, and most importantly, the recording is properly controlled.

• Pharmacy areas – In addition to CCTV monitoring, this is an area that needs special security surveillance because of the medications being stored here.

• Other areas – This could include anywhere like, Maternity Wards, lift lobby, money is stored, special or expensive equipment is housed, public access points other than main entrances, ambulance bays or other areas that are deemed important or vulnerable. Camera should be Minimum vandal proof with Megapixel resolution.

All equipment installed should be suitable to withstand the prevailing environmental conditions according to the environmental classes in BS EN 62676-1-1. This includes protection against dust, particles, water and any special environmental conditions that may prevail on the site (e.g. corrosive or explosive atmospheres). Ensure cameras are in areas where the view is not obstructed and the cameras cannot be tampered with.

Patient privacy is important and should be considered when installing security cameras. Do not install cameras in those areas considered private or in those areas where their privacy may be captured on video.

Warning signs, as required by the Code of Practice of the Information Commissioner are displayed at all access routes to areas covered by the Hospital CCTV.

Healthcare Camera Configuration

There are certain factors that should be considered when deciding to install video surveillance cameras in a hospital or healthcare facility:

•        Do you currently have security systems in place?

•        Are you short staffed or have minimal security personnel?

•        Are there multiple buildings at the hospital?

•        Do you have an adjacent parking lot or structure?

•        Have you experienced past criminal activity on the property?

•        Have you had issues with break-ins?

•        Have you had employee or visitor disputes that would have needed visual investigation?

•        Has there been any insurance claims made against the hospital in the past?

•        What areas are most critical and require video surveillance?

Healthcare Camera Setup Advice

•        Install security cameras so they may monitor and record all exit and entries of the hospital building its imperative to capture detailed video of those leaving and entering the premises.

•        Hallways should monitored and recorded as well. All activity from employees, visitors and patients can be visually monitored by guards and staff.

•        Cameras should be installed at all fire escapes and in elevators.

•        Parking garages and lots should also be monitored. This includes all loading areas.

•        Restricted areas should have cameras installed to maintain that only authorized users are granted access.

•        Both the exterior and interior of the hospital should have cameras installed.

Legislation:

The following legislation has been taken in to account:

•        The Data Protection Act 1998

•        The CCTV Code of Practice produced by the Information Commissioner

•        The Human Rights Act 1998

•        The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

•        All associated information, documents, and recordings obtained by CCTV are held and used in accordance with the Data Protection Act and the ICO’s Code of Practice 2008.

3.   System integration

There are a number of advantages to be gained in both the security and commercial aspects of designing and adopting an integrated system.

Access control systems:

By integrating access control with other systems many advantages may be realised. For example:

•        Fire Alarm mustering – know where your employees are at a given time.

•        Know which doors / areas employees are entering, or trying to enter.

•        Link CCTV images with access control events.

•        Link Time & Attendance monitoring using the same badge / token software.

•        Link Visitor Monitoring with Access Control & CCTV using badge / token software.

•        Integration with intruder & hold up alarm systems.

Visitor Management Systems (VMS)

For many hospital or residential care home a manual paper-based, VMS providing visual identity of visitors. However, computerised systems linked to Access Control and Time & Attendance systems are the natural bedfellows for integrated security systems.

CCTV Systems

By integrating CCTV and other systems many advantages may be realised. For example:

•        Live camera views can be integrated with the access control software, equally access control or other data can be integrated with the CCTV system.

•        Access control and other security detection systems can initiate pre and post-event video recording, linking the video recording with the event information. This makes searching for events on the Network Video Recorder (NVR) or Digital Video Recorder (DVR) more effective as only the event needs to be searched, for example ‘door forced – stores door’ or ‘zone 3 – perimeter breached.’

•        Track individuals and record their access details against the recording to track suspect users or stolen card users.

Intruder Alarms Systems

By integrating intruder with other systems, many advantages may be realised. For example:

•        Set / unset the intruder system using an access reader. No need to use the intruder keypad.

•        No entry delay time if main door forced. The entry timer is bypassed thus providing an instant alarm.

•        Disabling of access readers when the intruder system is in the armed state, to prevent false alarms due to unauthorized entry into an armed area.

•        Using an occupancy count from another system, the intruder & hold up alarm system can be notified that there may be persons present in the building when the system is being set.

Fire Systems

By integrating fire with other systems, many advantages may be realised. For example:

•        In the event of a fire, all emergency exit doors on the fire escape route need to be automatically released from an electrical point of view, but physical quick release locks may be in place to maintain security and still allow people to escape. It is common practice to install a relay in series with the electric locking mechanism controlled by the fire panel. An alternative is to feed a fire input into the access control system, which then automatically releases the appropriate electric locking mechanisms. The proposed link between the access control system and the fire system should be evaluated as part of the fire risk assessment.

•        CCTV cameras may also be linked to software to detect smoke or fire and provide a good early warning of fire.

Building Management Systems (BMS)

Building management systems are responsible for monitoring and controlling the environment of a hospital building, for example lighting, heating and ventilation (HVAC). In the current climate of energy saving, why leave lights on when an area is unoccupied? By integrating access control systems with BMS systems, the lighting can be automatically controlled by recording when people access an area. The system can also be configured to control the heating by reducing the room temperature when no one is present rather than leaving it on all day and off at night. The use of mobile device apps to remotely control building systems is becoming more popular.

Lift control

By integrating lift control with the access control system, access to certain floors in a hospital building may be restricted, particularly outside normal working hours or in multi-tenanted buildings. Also, modern lifts, can take a data feed from the access control system and advise the user which lift car they should go to. This is known as “elevator despatch”, this improves efficiency of the lift system and reduces energy usage.

External perimeter detection

One of the fundamental objectives of a security system is to provide protection at the outermost perimeter of a Healthcare property. A perimeter intruder detection system can be used, linked with CCTV or access control to provide early warnings and increased security through verification in the event of a breach. For example, external doors could be automatically locked if the perimeter system detects an abnormal event. This is most important for psychiatric hospital.

Car park management

By integrating Access & CCTV with CPM systems, many advantages may be realised. For example:

•        Visually through CCTV.

•        Audibly through an intercom system.

•        By using CCTV automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems vehicles could be tracked and logged in and out of hospitals.

•        Access Control tokens.

Guard tour

By using a guard tour package that integrates with the Access door readers can be used to define and monitor a tour by a specific guard, providing a real time indication if the guard does not reach a set point in time (or even if he arrives too early) – equally integration with the CCTV system can provide visual verification of the guard’s location and wellbeing. Many time & attendance systems incorporate guard tour functions as part of their software package.

Auditing

Another most important segment is security Auditing. Camera SEE everything, MISS nothing. SEE is unless you SEE, how will you know what you MISSED? This 'SEEING' what the Cameras 'SAW', is AUDITING. Unless healthcare facility / team Audit CCTV feeds as a Standard Operating Procedure, how will they achieve the benefits of HD video? Cameras can bring Video Feeds from anywhere; from basement of a healthcare building to top roof; BUT, what one NEEDS to do, is to 'SEE". Auditing of the CCTV system is a critical part of the maintenance and review process to ensure that the outcomes it provides meets the constantly changing requirements of an organisation or user. The audit process not only takes into account the reasons why was initially installed but also present outcomes that the close circuit television images are to deliver.

This Artical publish on Safe secure Magazine - Sep 2017