What happens if… you attempt to tailgate, crawl under, or climb a turnstile?
Preventing unauthorised entry to a building – whether that’s an office, warehouse, healthcare facility, etc. – is a critical part of a security system and is key to protecting people, assets, and property.
Integrated Design Limited (IDL) provides comprehensive entrance control systems, including Fastlane turnstiles and Door Detective, which detect and respond to various forms of unauthorised access attempts.
But, how do our solutions work in practice, and what happens if someone tries to follow another user, enter side-by-side, pass a credential back, or attempts to crawl under, climb or push a turnstile barrier?
If you’ve visited our stand at an exhibition, or joined us at our facility in Feltham for a product demonstration and tour, you’ll be familiar with how our products respond to these different scenarios. For those new to our products, we’ve provided a roundup of the most common unauthorised access attempts and how you can expect our entrance control products to react and manage them.
What happens if… you tailgate or piggyback?
Tailgating (also known as piggybacking) is the act of following someone through an open, access-controlled door without authorisation. This can be an innocent mistake or a deliberate attempt to gain access without permission. The follower is at fault, and it can expose employees and assets to unknown risks from outside agents.
Detection:
Behind the stylish exterior of a Fastlane turnstile, the infrared microcontroller makes thousands of decisions per second based on speed of passage, presence of luggage, distance to the pedestrian behind and direction of movement. This makes our turnstiles opinion-forming, with the capability to assess what is ‘seen’ in the lanes and draw conclusions about whether to allow entry. Able to process up to 60 people per minute, this intelligent decision-making eliminates false alarms and ensures that only one person freely gains access for each authorised credential presented.
In addition, Door Detective can be used to discretely monitor access and detect tailgating attempts on secure internal doorways, corridors or passageways, offering high security and protection of sensitive business assets – such as server rooms or executive suites – by ensuring only one person gains access for each authorised credential presented.
Response:
Upon detecting tailgating, our turnstiles can activate barriers to block entry, when safe to do so, trigger an alarm, or quietly notify security staff.
When integrated with an access control and CCTV system, in the event of suspected tailgating, the CCTV system captures images of the situation which can be reviewed to identify the people involved. Once detected, the individual causing the alarm can be recognised as friend (causing an accidental breach) or potential foe, at which point the appropriate response can be deployed.
What happens if… two people try to enter side-by-side?
Sidegating – a term coined and registered by us – occurs when two people try to pass through a wider lane together, side-by-side. This is a relatively new type of breach attempt, largely brought about due to the advent of wider turnstile lanes in response to changing regulations and to meet customer demands for wider lanes for both pedestrian and wheelchair users’ comfort. Most turnstiles are unable to detect this kind of behaviour so, while similar to tailgating, tackling sidegating requires different detection methods due to the broader passage area, so we developed new optical technology to prevent this form of breach.
Detection:
We like to keep the precise details of this technology to ourselves! But, what we can tell you is that our proprietary technology uses combined sensor technology and advanced algorithms to detect side-by-side movement in our wider lane models, such as the Glassgate 400 Plus. The system distinguishes between legitimate wide-lane access (such as a person with a wheelchair) and two people trying to enter together using one credential.
Response:
Fastlane turnstiles typically work in a ‘normally closed’ mode, opening after a valid card or other visitor credentials have been presented to allow the authorised user to pass. The glass barriers intuitively move away from the authorised person and close quickly as they pass through the lane to deter tailgaters.
Upon detection of sidegating, the glass barriers will remain closed, preventing entry to both parties. Our turnstiles are, of course, capable of sounding audible alarms, but if you’re looking for something a little more subtle, you can opt to disable the audible alarms but still flag up an unauthorised entry to the security staff. This approach allows security personnel to approach the suspected intruders in a less crowded, more controlled environment, where the appropriate action can be taken, whether that’s reminding an employee of the security protocol or escorting the intruders from the premises.
What happens if… you climb over or crawl under a turnstile?
Climbing a turnstile involves someone trying to bypass the barrier by physically climbing over it without presenting a valid credential. Some intruders may attempt to bypass the barrier by crawling under it to avoid detection.
Detection:
A number of the Fastlane range of turnstiles feature optional anti-climb sensors, which detect unauthorised attempts to scale the barrier and trigger an alert to security personnel. The same infra-red beam matrix that Fastlane products use to detect tailgating and other attempts at unauthorised entry will also note the presence of anyone attempting to crawl under the barrier and generate an alert.
Response:
Depending on how a client wants to manage attempted breaches of this nature, the system can respond by sounding an audible alarm to alert security personnel or by notifying security staff through a silent alert. Fastlane models also integrate with CCTV systems to provide real-time footage of a breach. This ensures that the intruder is identified, and the appropriate response is deployed.
What happens if… you push the barriers?
Pushing refers to an unauthorised individual attempting to forcibly push open a turnstile’s barriers to gain access without proper credentials.
Detection:
Fastlane turnstiles are designed with sensors that can detect any attempt to force the barriers open. These sensors are calibrated to recognise legitimate use and differentiate it from someone applying excessive pressure to push through.
Response:
As with all Fastlane models, the system triggers an alert when an individual tries to push open the barriers. Additionally, many Fastlane models feature locking brakes, making it nearly impossible to force the barriers open. Depending on the system’s setup, cameras may also be triggered to capture footage of any incidents, allowing for immediate intervention or later review by security personnel.
What happens if… you attempt a pass back?
Pass-back occurs when an authorised person passes through a turnstile or access-controlled door using their credential (perhaps a card or even a smartphone) and then passes it back to another individual, allowing them to enter without their own credentials.
Detection:
Fastlane’s turnstiles are compatible with anti-passback technology, subject to it being available in the connected access control system, preventing the same credential from being used twice in quick succession. This feature ensures that once a credential is used to gain entry, it cannot be used again to allow another person through without a specified time delay or re-authorisation.
Response:
If someone attempts to pass back a credential, the system will not receive an authorisation signal, and therefore, the barriers will not allow passage for the second individual. Fastlane turnstiles can integrate with all known access control systems, as does Door Detective, to track credential usage and prevent further breaches. In environments where security is paramount, the system may also lock barriers or doors until security personnel intervene to investigate the situation.
What happens if… you prop a door open?
Authorised but non-habitual users of a space, like workmen, can be tempted to find ways to save time on the re-presenting of credentials, such as keeping doors propped open, even emergency exits. Whether intentionally or inadvertently, door propping is clearly an invitation for someone unauthorised to enter the building.
Detection:
Our Door Detective products are specifically designed to monitor doorways and can detect when a door remains open for an extended period – indicating door propping – or is being held open to allow multiple entries.
Providing a barrierless entrance control system, Door Detective units are installed on either side of a door frame, and passage is monitored in both directions by a matrix of infrared beams. Security staff are alerted if someone passes through without presenting proper credentials or if behaviours such as tailgating or pass-back are detected. This system ensures that the ‘one person, one credential’ rule is enforced, and any anomalies are immediately flagged.
Response:
When a door is propped open, the system triggers an alarm to notify security personnel. If desired, the alert can be silent, allowing security staff to address the issue discreetly. In high-security environments, Door Detective can be integrated with CCTV or access control systems, allowing for real-time monitoring and the immediate locking of surrounding doors to contain any potential breach. This response helps prevent unauthorised individuals from taking advantage of the propped door to enter restricted areas, such as server rooms or executive suites.
The bottom line: Fastlane Turnstiles and Door Detective deter and detect unauthorised access
Fastlane turnstiles and Door Detective combine deterrence, detection, and response mechanisms to address a range of unauthorised access attempts, including acts of tailgating and sidegating, attempted climbing over or crawling under, forceful efforts to push open the barriers, and more.
With advanced infrared technology and customisable security responses, especially when integrated with access control systems, these solutions ensure that only authorised individuals gain entry, safeguarding the people and assets within a building.
If you’d like to discuss your entrance control needs, our team is also on hand to help. Please call +44 (0)208 890 5550 or email info@fastlane-turnstiles.com.