Benefits of Having Biometric Access Control Systems in Your Laboratory

In one of our previous articles, we talked about the rise of biometrics and how this technology is increasingly becoming integrated into our daily lives, especially as a security method, with the fingerprint being the most secure and widely established system currently used. Some of its uses include unlocking our mobile device, making payments, accessing different spaces as an access control method, etc.

We say that fingerprint biometric technology is the safest system because it is based on the physiological characteristics of the person, which are non-transferable and impossible to copy, making them much more difficult to breach.

Why opt for a biometric access control system for pharma and research labs?

Biometric technology is an ideal solution for laboratories and industries that work with sensitive information, as well as products that can be harmful to people's physical health. Laboratories not only work with highly sensitive and dangerous materials and products, but also with sensitive information such as: research reports, formulas, data, protocols, new drugs, etc., which normally involve a lot of development time and a significant economic investment.

One of the critical points of any laboratory is the protection and development of information.

¿What if an employee could send restricted information to their personal computer at home? Or, for example, what would happen if an investor found evidence that the information they were planning to invest in had been compromised for some time?

Laboratories tend to have a large influx of personnel, highly differentiated areas with varied schedules and many different work shifts. This makes it essential to be able to know when and where an employee or visitor has accessed a certain area and, of course, to be able to have this information in real time. This will allow you to guarantee that an unauthorised third-party cannot access a restricted area, putting the information found here and the safety of employees at risk.

Having a fingerprint biometric access control system on each door ensures that only staff authorised to access that area will be able to do so, preventing them from transferring their access credentials to someone else, since there is no key or physical card to give away or clone. In addition, this system is very convenient to use for employees, since they won't have to think about carrying any device with them to gain access, since a fingerprint is impossible to lose.

Traditionally, laboratories have opted for access credentials other than the fingerprint, because low and mid-range biometric readers are not capable of ensuring a correct reading when faced with problematic fingerprints, which are very common in laboratories where employees tend to have fingers that are worn down due to the use of chemicals or corrosives, or their fingers are usually dirty with grease or liquid from the materials they work with, and many often move around the facilities while wearing latex gloves.

Currently, there are fingerprint access systems like the ones we offer at NÜO that work even when wearing latex gloves and that guarantee a correct reading even with wet, very dry or dirty fingers covered in grease or cream.

Furthermore, NÜO biometric readers have an antibacterial treatment to prevent contagion, ensuring maximum security even at the microscopic level. In a laboratory, it is very easy for fingers to have traces of substances that can carry bacteria, and thanks to this finish, maximum asepsis is guaranteed in the identification of personnel, helping to avoid contagion by coming in contact with the surface. A key feature for access control system for pharma and research labs.

Controlling access to warehouses with sensitive materials and substances, managing clean rooms, which must be completely isolated, developing and testing areas for new products, production process areas, administration and management spaces, etc., will be of utmost importance to ensure the safety of your laboratory. Thus, for example, a person who works in the logistics area does not have to access the laboratory area where the product mixes are made, or a person who works in the offices as administrative staff has no reason to access the warehouse area where finished products highly susceptible to theft are stocked, without an adequate access control system.

Each employee has their own workstation and to prevent, not only information from being leaked or material from being stolen, but also to guarantee the safety of employees, it is important that each user who works in the laboratory has only those permissions they need to carry out their job duties.

Furthermore, modern access control systems such as those by NÜO have very simple management software and high-security, pre-programmed features so that you can activate them at the click of a button. For example, for spaces where high-value goods or dangerous, toxic substances are stored, or areas with very restricted access, the double intervention feature can be activated from the application, forcing the system to require two different people to identify themselves with their fingerprint in order for the door to open. The supervisor feature can also be used, which means that an employee can enter a restricted area only when their supervisor is inside.

For clean rooms, the airlock feature is ideal. The room is sterilised thanks to a system of locks in which only one door can be opened when the previous one has been closed.

Thus, biometric access control systems allow you to restrict access to certain areas by user and by shifts. In addition, it allows you to provide temporary and immediate access, so that you can register or unregister employees in real time, making sure that all their access privileges are blocked and that they will not have copies of the key that they could use once outside the laboratory.

Conclusions

Having a biometric access control system in your laboratory will allow you to have complete control over all entries and exits, safeguarding your information, preventing data leaks that could compromise your laboratory when it comes to investors, preventing chemical products that are harmful to people's physical health from being handled by unauthorised third parties or even preventing the theft of machinery and material, which are usually very expensive. Secure your laboratory with the ultimate access control system for pharma and research labs.

At NÜO Planet, we help you secure you laboratory with specific solutions for the sector. For more information, you can contact us by clicking on the following link.