 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(January 2017) |
An exit control lock (also known as an exit control device, exit lock, or simply an exit control) prevents or deters unauthorized exit. [1] [ full citation needed ]
| | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(January 2017) |
An exit control lock (also known as an exit control device, exit lock, or simply an exit control) prevents or deters unauthorized exit. [1] [ full citation needed ]
Many exit control locks incorporate magnetic locks. One type, called "delayed egress magnetic locks", will not allow the door to open immediately. This delay reserves time for security personnel to get to the door before the door opens. The lock will also release if there is a fire alarm or power failure, but otherwise these locks hold the exit doors shut.
Exit control systems can include a "request to exit detector" such as a pushbutton that opens the exit, if exit requests are enabled.
In some facilities, entrances as well as exits require authentication such as swiping or otherwise reading a card with a card reader. If an intruder slips by the entrance controls of a building, they will not be able to exit undetected, and can be detained for questioning.
Exit control locks are often used in retail establishments to deter shoplifting. They are also used in airports and other controlled areas, where people are held until they clear customs or quarantine stations. Exit control locks are also used in libraries, where there is one well-staffed entrance and exit, and a number of other exits that are intended for emergency use only.
Exit control devices are often used in hospitals, and can be interfaced to wireless sensors worn by newborn children, so that all exits will lock if a baby is stolen from one of the hospital rooms. For example, if a newborn baby is removed from a specailized section of the hospital without proper exit procedures, all exit control locks in the area switch to the locked state. Attempts to remove the transmitter from the baby's ankle also lock the exits. If the transmitter falls out, an alarm also sounds. The exits remain locked while the alarm is sounding, and unlock only after the alarm is cleared.
Similar devices are often used in Alzheimer's disease housing facilities.
Often, retail stores will install emergency exits in a way that discourages their misuse for shoplifting. Usually, the door is locked with an emergency exit button next to it. Pushing the emergency exit button will unlock the door, and also trigger the fire alarm. This deters shoplifting because a person who unlocks the door in order to take an item out of the building when it is not an emergency may be reported to the police, with CCTV footage if available.
In physical security and information security, access control (AC) is the selective restriction of access to a place or other resource, while access management describes the process. The act of accessing may mean consuming, entering, or using. Permission to access a resource is called authorization.
Physical security describes security measures that are designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment, and resources and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm. Physical security involves the use of multiple layers of interdependent systems that can include CCTV surveillance, security guards, protective barriers, locks, access control, perimeter intrusion detection, deterrent systems, fire protection, and other systems designed to protect persons and property.
Shoplifting is the theft of goods from a retail establishment during business hours. The terms shoplifting and shoplifter are not usually defined in law, and generally fall under larceny. In the retail industry, the word shrinkage is used to refer to merchandise often lost by shoplifting. The term five-finger discount is an euphemism for shoplifting, humorously referencing stolen items taken "at no cost" with the five fingers.
A lock is a mechanical or electronic fastening device that is released by a physical object, by supplying secret information, by a combination thereof, or it may only be able to be opened from one side, such as a door chain.
A deadbolt or deadlock is a type of lock morticed into a wooden door where a bolt is thrown into the door frame, using a key from either side, to secure the door. It is distinct from a spring bolt lock because a deadbolt can only be opened by a key or handle. The more common spring bolt lock uses a spring to hold the bolt in place, allowing retraction by applying force to the bolt itself. A deadbolt can therefore make a door more resistant to entry without the correct key, as well as make the door more resistant to forced entry. A deadbolt is often used to complement a spring-bolt lock on an entry door to a building.
A crash bar is a type of door opening mechanism which allows users to open a door by pushing a bar. While originally conceived as a way to prevent crowd crushing in an emergency, crash bars are now used as the primary door opening mechanism in many commercial buildings.
An emergency exit in a building or other structure is a special exit used during emergencies such as fires. The combined use of regular and emergency exits allows for faster evacuation, and emergency exits provide alternative means of evacuation if regular exits are inaccessible.
Anti-theft systems protect valuables such as vehicles and personal property like wallets, phones, and jewelry. They are also used in retail settings to protect merchandise in the form of security tags and labels. Anti-theft systems include devices such as locks and keys, RFID tags, and GPS locators.
Retail loss prevention is a set of practices employed by retail companies to preserve profit. Loss prevention is mainly found within the retail sector but also can be found within other business environments.
Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is a type of system used to prevent shoplifting from retail stores, pilferage of books from libraries, or unwanted removal of properties from office buildings. EAS systems typically consist of two components: EAS antennas and EAS tags or labels. EAS tags are attached to merchandise; these tags can only be removed or deactivated by employees when the item is properly purchased or checked out. If merchandise bearing an active tag passes by an antenna installed at an entrance/exit, an alarm sounds alerting staff that merchandise is leaving the store unauthorized. Some stores also have antennas at entrances to restrooms to deter shoppers from taking unpaid-for merchandise into the restroom where they could remove the tags.
A remote keyless system (RKS), also known as remote keyless entry (RKE) or remote central locking, is an electronic lock that controls access to a building or vehicle by using an electronic remote control. RKS largely and quickly superseded keyless entry, a budding technology that restrictively bound locking and unlocking functions to vehicle-mounted keypads.
A panic alarm is an electronic device that can easily be activated to request help during an emergency where danger to persons or property exists. It is designed to contact assistance quicker, easier, and simpler than a conventional phone call.
An electronic lock is a locking device which operates by means of electric current. Electric locks are sometimes stand-alone with an electronic control assembly mounted directly to the lock. Electric locks may be connected to an access control system, the advantages of which include: key control, where keys can be added and removed without re-keying the lock cylinder; fine access control, where time and place are factors; and transaction logging, where activity is recorded. Electronic locks can also be remotely monitored and controlled, both to lock and to unlock.
Marie Van Brittan Brown was an American nurse, her husband Albert L. Brown, an electronics technician. In 1966 they invented an audio-visual home security system That same year they applied for a patent for their security system. It was granted three years later in 1969.
An electric strike is an access control device used for door frames. It replaces the fixed strike faceplate often used with a latch. Like a fixed strike plate, it normally presents a ramped or beveled surface to the locking latch allowing the door to close and latch just like a fixed strike would. However, an electric strike's ramped surface can, upon command, pivot out of the way when the lock on the door is in the locked position and the door is opened, allowing a user to pull/push the door to open it without operating the mechanical lock or using a mechanical key. After the door is opened past the keeper, the keeper returns to its standard position and re-locks when power is removed or applied, depending upon the strike's configuration.
A keycard lock is a lock operated by a keycard, a flat, rectangular plastic card. The card typically, but not always, has identical dimensions to that of a credit card, that is ID-1 format. The card stores a physical or digital pattern that the door mechanism accepts before disengaging the lock.
A gun safe is a safe designed for storing one or more firearms and/or ammunitions. Gun safes are primarily used to prevent access by unauthorized or unqualified persons, for burglary protection and, in more capable safes, to protect the contents from damage by flood, fire or other natural disasters.
An electromagnetic lock, magnetic lock, or maglock is a locking device that consists of an electromagnet and an armature plate.
The term window security may refer to any of a range of measures used to avoid unauthorized access through windows, and prevent crimes such as burglary and home invasions. Window security is used in commercial and government buildings, as well as in residential settings.
An electromagnetic door holder is a simple electromechanical mechanism which can be used to hold a fire door or security door open until given a signal to release. A fire alarm control panel or a similar emergency control system usually powers and controls the door holder.
| Fundamental concepts | |
|---|---|
| Components and hardware | |
| Keys | |
| Mechanical locks | |
| Electronic locks | |
| Other lock types | |
| Lock picking | |
| Security alarms |
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| Miscellaneous | |
