Access Control System
CSI Division 28, Electronic Safety and Security
Card readers, keypads, and electrified locks tied into a central system that controls and logs who can enter which doors and when, coordinated closely with a building's door hardware, since the electrified lock hardware itself has to match both the access control system's requirements and any fire-rating or egress code requirements for that specific door.
Why it matters
Which lock type an egress door can use isn't a matter of preference: an electromagnetic lock has no mechanical way to let someone out, so code requires it to fail safe and release automatically on fire alarm activation or power loss, while an electrified lockset paired with a lever or panic hardware can be specified fail-secure on the same door, since the mechanical lever or bar still provides egress regardless of the electric lock's powered state. Specifying the wrong lock type for the wrong hardware combination is what actually creates the life-safety hazard, not fail-secure configuration itself.
On a real project
A building's access control system uses electromagnetic locks on doors where no mechanical egress hardware is present, wired to release automatically the moment the fire alarm system activates, while doors with lever handles or panic hardware use fail-secure electrified locksets that keep working mechanically for exiting even if the access control system loses power.
Who this matters most to
An Electrician or specialty security technician installs and wires access control hardware, coordinating closely with whoever installs the door hardware itself. A Facilities Manager manages the system day to day after occupancy, issuing and revoking access credentials as building occupants change.
Where this goes wrong
A contractor installs electromagnetic locks on several egress doors without any mechanical release hardware, then configures them fail-secure like a typical interior door to simplify wiring. Because a maglock has no mechanical way to release, the mistake isn't caught until a life-safety inspection specifically tests each door's behavior during a simulated power loss, requiring the hardware to be reconfigured before occupancy is approved.