Making an Entrance - Feature Article

The problem with our employees,” jokes Deborah Mordeau, director, Corporate Security & Safety for UNUM Corp., “is that they are too nice. They let people in behind them without thinking about it. We’re not raised to close a door in someone’s face, so we hold it open for them, or we let them in behind us.”

In all seriousness, though, Mordeau does not joke when it comes to ensuring the safety of the 10,000+ employees who work at UNUM, a disability insurance company with headquarters in Chattanooga, Tenn. four operating sites in Portland, Columbia, S.C., Worcester, Mass., and Glendale, Calif., and 43 field offices, including an international presence.

“As with any corporate security director, one of my biggest concerns is how to keep our people safe and keep the wrong people out of our buildings,” Mordeau says. “Doors present a particular problem and it can be difficult to train employees. A few years ago, the best way was through card access. Yet, when people began holding open our old glass swinging glass doors, we knew that we needed a different solution.”

Mordeau found a Tourlock revolving door from Boon Edam that allowed her to marry the door with her existing card access system. Even better, she says, is that as a few of her operating sites are in cold weather climates, the door is energy efficient, so it’s attractive to facility planning personnel as well.

To enter the building, an employee simply holds his her access card to a reader and steps into a quarter panel as sensors on the door recognize the card and opens it as the employee moves through it and into the lobby.

“People hesitate to put this type of door in because they may not think that it’s reliable in terms of mechanical function,” Mordeau says. “You don’t want to spend this type of money for a door and then have a security guard still babysit it. But that’s not the case here.

Hands down – the door paid for itself,” she says.

In case of an emergency, the door can be locked down. And in the event of a fire, the quarter panels on the door literally collapse and create a two-way exit.

Entrance Advice: Types of Security Doors

Choosing the correct lobby entry system can mean fully securing your building – or not. Here are some of the types of security entrance systems available, with the benefits of each, courtesy of Smarter Security Systems.

Tripod Turnstiles
Tripod turnstiles are typically used in manned industrial, covered outdoor or interior areas where appearance and throughput speeds are less important. They can be manual or motorized.

Passgates/Turnstiles
Entrance gates are usually glass gates that can open in either direction and can be activated by an access control system or at a security desk.

Full Height Turnstiles
Full height mechanical turnstiles are normally installed with external fenced perimeters in unguarded areas of higher security sites.

Optical Turnstiles
These turnstiles are for areas where aesthetics, ease of use, and speed of throughput are important. They are available in many sizes, shapes and materials.

Optical Barrier-Arm Turnstiles and Speedgates
Optical Barrier Turnstiles and Speedgates can be used in entrances where speed and throughput are key issues. Infrared beams across the lanes detect intruders, while barriers then impede or visually deter people from entering, depending on the brand and style of barrier. Speedgates are generally used in high-profile lobbies where medium or higher security is needed.

Automatic Security Doors
Automatic security doors are used for main entrances on medium to higher security sites that may be unmanned. There are two main types: revolving security doors and security booths. Typical applications for security booths include high security sites. Revolving security doors can be integrated with the access control system of a building and are set to revolve once per valid card authorization.

The doors are used in medium to high security settings.