Share thisControlling and managing an animal facility starts with security. For obvious reasons, restricting access to the vivarium is important; from saboteurs intending mischief to those simply lost in the windowless corridors of the typical vivarium building, the animal lab can be subject to numerous intruders. Clearly, the welfare of animals and integrity of the research requires well planned access control.
In any building, regardless of its purpose, access can only be controlled by using a good old fashioned lock. The form of the key, however, has changed from a piece of notched metal, to magnetic stripe cards, PIN codes, proximity cards and, more recently, biometric ID. However, as essential as locks and keys are to security, if one ignores the procedures and protocols for assigning keys and keeping track of them, all the technology in the world will not protect the animals or research beyond the vivarium doors.
Decide Who is Authorized
In its simplest form, the basis for an access control program is a list of staff members. If a facility was to rely on physical, metal keys, the list would include which person had which key. But a paper-based list creates a recordkeeping nightmare: keys will be lost, traded, and stolen and facility staff will have regular turnover. And yet, keeping the authorized access list up to date is absolutely critical.
Enter the electronic lock, key code system. Modern security systems have mostly dispensed with the physical key. Instead, each staff member is assigned a unique ID code. The code may be a personal identification number (PIN) which is entered into a numeric keypad next to the door, or it may be encoded onto a magnetic stripe card or proximity card used with compatible readers. When a staff member attempts to gain access using one of these methods, the computer checks the authorized access list to see if they should be allowed to unlock that door.