Biometric access control: only the right people get in

With biometric access control, each person who needs access is enrolled once: their fingerprint is scanned and saved against their name. From then on, they place a finger on the reader at the door or gate. If the system recognises them and they're allowed in at that time, it releases the lock or signals the gate to open. If not, the door stays shut.

Every entry is logged, so you can see who came through which door and when. When someone leaves your business or stops working at your property, you remove them from the system. There are no keys to get back and no locks to change.

Access can also be set by time and by door. Cleaners can get in on weekday mornings, managers can get in at any time, and only two people can open the stockroom.

For a business, the log settles questions you'd otherwise argue about: who opened the stockroom on Saturday, who was last out on Friday night, and whether the contractor really arrived at eight.

• Offices with staff entrances, server rooms or records that only some people should reach.
• Warehouses and workshops, where stockrooms, tool stores and the yard gate need tighter control than the front door.
• Estates and complexes, for residents, domestic workers and regular contractors at pedestrian gates. It works well alongside guards at the gate; see estate security.
• Shared buildings, where several tenants use the same entrance.
• Homes with staff, where you want a record of who came in and when, without handing out keys.

Fingerprints are personal information, and POPIA treats them carefully. The Act defines biometrics as personal identification based on physical, physiological or behavioural characteristics, including fingerprinting, and lists biometric information as special personal information under section 26. Section 27 sets out when it may be processed, and the person's consent is one of those grounds.

In practice, that means a few sensible steps before you switch the system on:

• Tell staff or residents what you're collecting, why, and who can see it.
• Get their consent in writing when they're enrolled.
• Limit who can access the system and its records.
• Remove people's details when they no longer need access.
• Have another way in, such as a PIN or tag, for anyone who can't or won't enrol.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you're unsure how POPIA applies to your workplace or estate, check with your own legal adviser.

A biometric reader on its own controls who opens a door. Combined with other layers, it does more. A reader at the pedestrian gate can work with the gate motor on the vehicle gate. A camera at the reader shows who was standing there when the door opened, which helps when someone lets a friend in behind them. And criminal background checks before enrolment mean you know more about the people you're giving access to.

At an estate or a business park, readers work well alongside a guard at the gate. Residents and staff let themselves in, and the guard can focus on visitors and deliveries.

We don't publish prices, because every building is different. These are the things that change the quote:

• How many doors and gates need readers, and whether you need to read in and out.
• The type of lock each door needs, and the condition of the door and frame.
• How many people will be enrolled.
• Cable runs between readers, locks and the controller.
• Backup power, so doors behave the way you want during a power cut.
• Linking readers to gate motors, cameras or an existing system.

DBS Security is a family business with 25 years in the trade. Pieter de Bruyn Jr and his son Marco quote every job themselves, and a specialised technical team does the installation. Get a free quote for biometric access control, or see the areas we cover.