Reduce Liability and Monitor Costs With a Key Control System

Does your business need a key control system? If you're not sure, the answer might surprise you. Many businesses don't fully understand both the risks of key control failure and the options they have at hand.

To get your company started toward a safer access control system, here are a few answers to the most common questions about key control.

What Is a Key Control System?

In the most basic terms, a key control system is your company's method of inventorying keys, checking them out to individuals, and securing them again. Many small companies have a lax system held over from their early days. Keys are often kept in the possession of individuals and may be duplicated without permission. Or keys might be left in a central location where employees can get them and return them.

In contrast, a true key control system is a secure storage location where each key is kept in a unique locker to which a person is granted coded and personalized access. They remove the key, use it, and return it to the locker. The key control system logs the use and when the key is returned.

What Keys Should You Monitor?

Many small business owners dismiss the need for a professional key control system because they don't think they have enough keys to warrant it. But if you conduct a key audit within your company, you might actually find that you have more keys than you realize. This could easily include:

• Exterior and interior door keys 
• Vehicle and heavy equipment keys
• Office cabinet keys
• Petty cash or deposit box keys
• Safety deposit box keys
• Keys to operate fixed equipment
• Storage cages for inventory or equipment
• Gate keys
• Remote office or branch keys

Clearly, a company might have keys of all shapes and sizes without realizing the extent of its inventory. And if there's a reason to lock up something with a key, there is a good reason to protect access to the key as well. 

How Can Key Control Lower Liability?

Controlling access to your business vehicles, tools, equipment, and property is vital for controlling risk and liability. Failure to properly secure access means that a company could be found negligent if an accident or damage occurs - whether or not the company knows what was going on.

For example, if you don't enforce company policy to lock up hazardous chemicals, the business could be liable for injuries if employees are lax about things. Similarly, if an unlicensed or unauthorized person starts up a piece of heavy equipment, the company could be responsible for their actions. And the company would likely end up paying for accidents in company cars even if the trip is unapproved.

How Can Key Control Help Costs?

Careful monitoring of keys helps your bottom line. If you fail to get keys back from ex-employees, those keys could end up being used to steal valuable inventory items or even company vehicles. And when no one is monitoring which keys are used to access areas, anyone could end up taking home small items over a period of time - without the company even knowing.

Key control systems also provide proactive information. Paying a vendor to do remote work? The key control system would alert you that they've checked out relevant keys and when they return them. The system would tell you when employees working late locked up the office and returned the keys. And you would know who accesses the office where your expensive prototype is being developed.

Where Should You Learn More?

Do you think that a good key control system can help your company protect itself, the customers, and its employees? If so, learn more by meeting with Phoenix Access Control today. Our security experts will assess your needs and help you find the right solutions for your budget and future plans. Call today to make an appointment