Siemens’ SiPass integrated access control system ensures that employees at the Balgrist Campus in Zurich can move freely throughout the building, whilst preventing admission by unauthorised personnel.
The Balgrist Campus is a new research and development centre for cutting-edge medicine. Balgrist University Hospital specialises in injuries to the musculoskeletal system and is one of the leading hospitals in this field in Switzerland. The Balgrist Campus is intended to further strengthen this expertise and groups from various disciplines conduct their research here, working closely and sharing information. The rooms are intentionally designed to be bright and open to create a conducive space for creative ideas and innovations.
Access control and fire safety
The safety and security of people and property are among the top priorities at the new research institute. Not only does the access control deliver high-level security, but a Siemens fire detection system also protects the building against fire.It was a key requirement for Thomas Huggler that employees should only carry a single card for multiple services
An online system is used in which all door control units and access readers are networked with the control centre via a bus system. “That way we can change access rights online and immediately block lost ID cards, for example. New authorisations become active right away,” explained Thomas Huggler, Managing Director of Balgrist Campus AG.
“This is especially important because we also have biosafety level 2 areas that only specially trained personnel can access.”
Single access card for multiple services
It was a key requirement for Thomas Huggler that employees should only carry a single card for multiple services. Researchers can use their card to access lockers, printers and mailboxes, as well as make cashless payments in the cafeteria.
The integration and design of the mailbox locking system was new to Siemens. “We had never created that kind of system before, so it was uncharted territory for us,” explained a senior customer service technician associated with Siemens. Each specialist group has its own mailbox and employees picking up the mail required to just hold their badge up to the reader and the right box opens automatically. The implementation was complex; we incorporated the concept of a card control for lifts.
Future expansion plans
Thomas Huggler also pointed out another advantage of SiPass integrated that is especially important for research institutions, “The system delivers precise logs of who accessed what areas, and when. This is particularly important for inspections by the authorities, because some areas have higher levels of security.”
“The next step is to expand SiPass integrated to the Balgrist University Hospital.”, Huggler concluded.