printer friendly version

Controlled access for sub-contractors

ievo ensures management of large numbers of contractors in a dusty environment.

Based on a site in Middlesborough in north-east England, the Beverley Tollesby School is a modern district school constructed by Willmot Dixon for children with autistic and behavioural needs.

Willmot Dixon employs over 2500 people and decided in January 2010 to specify a biometric system which complements existing CCTV and manned guard security on site. The company’s decision to follow this route was due to problems with proximity cards and pin code systems it was currently using.

Vanguard Security Systems of Yorkshire won the contract for the installation of the biometric turnstile and other security services. Vanguard specified the ievo biometric reader because of its reliability and use of a multispectral imaging fingerprint sensor.

The reader is able to scan through dirt, dust, high ambient light, water and some types of latex gloves. This makes it ideal for contractors on site who often have degraded fingerprints due to occupational damage or dirt.

The ievo reader is fully IP rated and has a strong, robust and ergonomic design, making it easy for staff to use on site. The reader was integrated with Paxton’s Net2 ACU and software, which Willmot Dixon and Vanguard use regularly.

The biometric system comprises a double turnstile positioned in a cabin at the front of the site. An ievo reader is placed on both sides of the turnstile.

“Using the ievo biometric system on site eradicates the need for cards which can be costly to replace if lost. It also means users can be easily added to the system from a remote location and can be deleted even if they are not present. Cost was also a significant factor so ievo’s cost effectiveness was a big plus for Willmot Dixon,” said GM of Vanguard, Chris Fields.

Sue Robinson, site secretary for Willmot Dixon said she believes the main advantage of ievo and Net2 is how easy it is to use. “Despite the fact that there are a large number of contractors, ievo is simple and user friendly because of the intuitive nature of the software. The Windows interface means that training other staff to use ievo takes less than 30 minutes.

“Being able to monitor the events of when staff come onto site is really useful, especially with sub-contracted workers. In this way we can see which companies have been on site, how many of their staff and which trades. This ensures correct pay rates are used and that any disputes with time on site are quickly resolved because the biometric evidence is irrefutable,” she added.

“We also use the anti-passback facility on the software which means that the system will not allow personnel to scan out unless they have first scanned in and vice versa. This is critical for health and safety because we know exactly who is on site. When we run a fire drill we can compare the software report to actual people on site,” said Robinson.

It is estimated that the system will have more than 800 people registered on it. It will be on site at Beverley Tollesby School for 85 weeks and then be moved onto a new Willmot Dixon site.

Share this article:

Further reading: