Physical security solutions like turnstiles can be a significant investment, both in terms of financial commitment and time to evaluate essential functionality components like design, safety and other technical considerations. However, if you’re considering whether your current turnstiles need an update or assessing the need for turnstiles in your facilities, there are four key components to take into account:
Power and Access Control Conduits
In evaluating existing turnstile units, it’s essential to understand the placement of the power and access control conduits and ensure they will align with the desired replacement unit. If a direct alignment is not possible with replacement turnstiles, there are two possibilities to properly fit new turnstile equipment.
- Coring of the floor and respective repairs to the floor where the previous conduits were located;
- Raised floor protection panels (commonly referred to as floor protectors) to allow wires from existing conduit exit points to connect to the new pedestals.
Raised floor protection panels can only be installed safely if the power to the new turnstiles is low voltage.
Removal of High-Voltage Wiring
If you’re taking a more holistic removal approach and able to core the floor to remove existing conduits, you may need to remove high-voltage wiring which is more common in older turnstile models. However, some modern turnstiles don’t require high-voltage wiring freeing up conduit space and freeing up breakers within the power panels to be used in other areas of a facility.
For any new turnstile install, low-voltage requirements will enable you to avoid cumbersome power supply updates in the future.
Removal of Emergency Exit Doors
For those facilities who are completely revamping their entrance control strategy and replacing significantly dated equipment, removing emergency exit doors will be a key consideration. Emergency exits and adjacent manual exit doors, previously mandated by existing building and fire codes, can now be phased out and replaced with emergency exit capabilities directed through turnstiles.
Entrances may still be designed and implemented with manual doors or gates next to the turnstiles to account for large package deliveries, however, they are no longer mandatory for emergency exit functionality.
Environmentally Responsible Disposal of Old Turnstiles
After your replacement is complete, you should understand how your old equipment is being disposed of. Not only does this positively impact the environmental footprint of your facility, but it also contributes to corporate social responsibility initiatives. When working with a company to remove or replace old turnstiles, include proper disposal as a requirement and require receipt of the disposal for confirmation.
Upgrade Your Approach to Entrance Control with Smarter Security
If your facility is ready to undergo an entrance remodel, refresh or even a first-time install, utilize Smarter Security’s contact a Smarter Security entrance control expert to set up a consultation.
