Page 8 - Campus Security & Life Safety, November/December 2020

"Rather than spending thousands on new technology, school officials can use their existing access control system to mitigate the spread of germs."
By Ron Baer
Integrating Safety and Health
Access Control
HP
with future uncertainty, has raised questions about the best strategies to protect students. Protecting students’ ability to learn safely requires reconceiving space use and door opening touchpoints that allow us to move through a school. And though novel solu- tions are anticipated, they are typically not being subsidized by budget increases.
With the end of 2020 nearing, educators are grappling with if and how students and staff will safely return in the New Year.
Existing Access Control
as Part of the Solution
Educators in the United States can signifi- cantly improve safety with creative solutions for the products and building architecture already in place. In Denmark, classroom spacing requirements, corridor manage- ment, routine disinfection, and requiring student hand-washing every two hours have helped contain the virus. Rather than spend- ing thousands on new technology, school officials can use their existing access control system to mitigate the spread of germs.
Limiting Touch, Limiting Access: Complementary Goals
The threat of active assailants made the need for lockdown security clear, pushing educators to make substantial safety investments. Access control solutions were central to this evolution: from the installation of new locks, doors, gates, and signage, to new procedures for moving through increasingly fluid spaces.
It requires a similar long-term commitment for schools to successfully address the threat of COVID-19 and future pandemics. Many U.S. schools already have the staff and decision- making infrastructure needed to act quickly in the face of outside threats — now is the moment to call on these stakeholders for the shared purpose of health and safety.
Limiting access on campus is one approach that builds on the learnings from lockdown security. Educators should evalu-
ow your existing access control system holds the key to a safe school reopening
reparing to open schools each year has always involved repairs and replace- ments, but the COVID-19 pandemic has upended that process. The nature and immediacy of the threat, paired
Jen Wolf / Shutterstock.com
ate access and egress points to efficiently manage traffic flow (in non-emergency sce- narios) and effectively support social dis- tancing guidelines. Once mapped, traffic can be managed through existing access control systems by locking certain entries and redi- recting traffic using wayfinding signage.
Additionally, many state and local COVID-19 protocols recommend the reduc- tion of touchpoints in buildings. According to a recent study, 78% of respondents believe that touching door handles would increase their likelihood to contract coronavirus, top- ping the list of concerns.
Touchless solutions are designed to reduce the risk of virus transmission while provid- ing visitors with a sense of safety as they move through the school. For example, hands-free arm and foot pulls can be affixed to existing doors as a simple, cost-effective solution to reduce touch.
Reconsidering Traffic Flow
Managing traffic flow offers an opportunity to reorient existing facilities toward methods that reduce germ transmission. This can include extending time between classes to allow for longer routes and encouraging students to move more diligently through the halls.
Educators are also planning the creative staggering of class times, arrival or release times, or even altering the school schedule to
decrease the number of times students change rooms. For example, if a student tra- ditionally attends science class for one hour three times a week that can be changed to a three-hour class once a week.
Reimaging Available Space
Outdoor space is typically preferred to help reduce transmission. Leveraging larger school areas like gyms, common areas and theaters can increase the space between stu- dents or help to reduce class sizes. As com- munity use of school facilities increases around the country for large events and emergency planning, it’s important that these spaces remain flexible in light of increasingly fluid requirements.
Educators face unprecedented pressure to eliminate physical and biological risks in schools. When this pandemic eases, however, the solutions implemented must offer long- term value. Keeping students and staff safe and secure will remain a key priority for school officials, but with this pandemic, wellbeing must also be considered. Planning for a safe return should recognize how access control integrates the overlapping concerns of health and wellness with safety and security.
Ron Baer is the director of business develop- ment for the K-12 market at ASSA ABLOY.
8 campuslifesecurity.com | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020