Hospitals employ a staggering number of workers, each of whom has unique access needs. These facilities contain a broad range of rooms and spaces ranging from ERs, ICUs and Operating Rooms, to reception, waiting rooms, administrative offices and many others. The people who need to access each of these spaces varies, as do those who need to be restricted. Each has specific security requirements; each needs to be monitored consistently and some require an available audit trail. With a rotating user base including staff, patients and visitors, as well as maintenance personnel, deliveries and other vendors, access management has traditionally been a considerable challenge.

Providing staff with convenient, keyless access is a modern solution to streamlining healthcare safety and security—as well as hygiene practices. Recent innovations in prop-tech systems now allow healthcare facilities to set specific requirements of access control to oversee each employee and ensure security of their assets. Understanding the advanced access control needs in healthcare settings, Salto has developed innovative solutions to meet these complex challenges.

Smart Control Solutions

Salto’s proprietary SVN (Salto Virtual Network) technology allows locks to communicate through user credentials such as ID badges, key cards, key fobs, and smartphones. By linking user profiles and working calendars to specific areas or practice zones, healthcare facilities can instantly set and modify user access privileges. This not only enhances security but also streamlines the workflow, reducing administrative burdens associated with traditional key management. Once scanned on one of the main connected access points throughout the hospital, the information stored on the access credential reports back to the network providing an audited trail of all access points and locations the card holder has visited. The SVN allows the natural movements of people to create an audit trail that helps to monitor access to hospital assets and workflow.

Sensitive areas such as birthing centres and intensive care units are safeguarded by restricting access to authorized personnel only, protecting assets, data, and medical supplies. In the context of infectious diseases, a modern access control system can be used to audit patient movement flows and for contact tracing, thus aiding in contagion control and microbe protection.

Stand-Alone Locks Need No Internet Connection

Using Salto’s “Data-on-Card” technology means individual locks do not need internet connectivity. Throughout the day, information from each access credential is transferred back to the network. Each time users’ credentials interact with an offline lock, a “read/write” exchange of information occurs. This instantaneous data swap updates the lock with the latest user information for the entire network and simultaneously updates the credential with information about every user who has accessed that lock.

In high-touch healthcare environments, hospital lockers equipped with keyless access systems not only offer convenience but also play a vital role in maintaining security and hygiene standards. These keyless locker systems eliminate the need for physical keys, reducing the chances of cross-contamination—a critical factor in sterile environments. This ease of use not only benefits staff but also enhances the overall hygiene within the facility. Implementing advanced locker solutions like those offered by Salto, can significantly enhance a hospital’s operational capabilities, making it a safer place for both staff and patients.

Designed to optimize the control and monitoring of lockers in healthcare environments, Relaxx by Gantner—part of the Salto Wecosystem—is a cutting-edge locker management software. Offering a centralized platform to manage locker use assignments, usage data, and access rights, the software allows real time updates to access rights and 24/7 monitoring. The Relaxx software user-friendly interface allows administrators to easily assign lockers to individuals or groups, set access permissions, and monitor locker status. This functionality enhances operational efficiency and improves user experience by minimizing wait times and ensuring secure, hassle-free access.

Advanced Tracking and Auditing

Advanced locker systems offer secure locking, encrypted communication and alarm function to prevent tampering, a digital audit trail tracks and verifies all access attempts. This ensures that only authorized personnel can open specific lockers, helping safeguard personal items and sensitive materials, significantly reducing the risk of theft or unauthorized access.

Smart lockers allow hospitals to:

• Quickly Add or Modify Access: As staff members join, leave, or change roles, the system can easily update access permissions, ensuring that only authorized people have access to specific areas.
• Facilitate Emergency Situations: In case of an emergency, locating a staff member becomes easier with digital records of locker access, which can provide crucial information quickly.
• Flexible Use Cases: For pharmaceutical lockers, utilizing RFID technology and mobile access credentials ensures that only authorized personnel can access medication storage. This helps meet regulatory compliance and also prevents unauthorized access and potential theft. By providing secure and efficient personal storage, secure lockers can be integrated into the hospital’s overall security network.

Advanced locker systems integrate with existing hospital security infrastructure, including video surveillance and alarm systems. Hospitals can easily expand their security infrastructure to include additional properties thanks to the adaptable Salto design. By implementing smart locker systems, hospitals can better manage contagion risks. Limiting and controlling access to areas with contagious diseases helps manage patient movement flows and track potential contagion chains, significantly enhancing infection control measures.

Hospital lockers play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of healthcare environments. By providing convenient, keyless access and robust security features, smart lockers help protect belongings and sensitive or controlled materials, providing peace of mind for hospital workers, their patients and medical facility management. Their integration into the broader hospital security infrastructure provides daily support to critical healthcare professionals.

Implementing Salto solutions can eliminate the cost of replacing keys and maintaining outdated access systems. Easy and economical to deploy, Salto’s solutions offer a path to upgrading facility safety and security and retrofitting modern access control into existing infrastructure.

Salto continues to champion innovative-thinking and is a leader in access control technology, offering unparalleled convenience and security. The future is ready to unlock. To learn how your facility can benefit, visit saltosystems.ca