UK school gym shapes up access control for wider use

St Paul's Academy in London has deployed electronic security handles from Assa Abloy at its new gym. The implementation ensures the security of the fitness suite while offering convenient, keyless access to staff, pupils and outside visitors. The system was installed by local locksmith AW Keil.

At London's St Paul's Academy, they work hard to incorporate sport – as well as business and enterprise – into students' daily lives. Their new gym is also available for use by the local community, both during and outside school hours.

"We've invested significantly in the fitness suite to encourage students, staff and the wider community to maintain a healthy lifestyle," said Terry Grant, Premises Manager of St Paul's Academy. "The facility accommodates many ‘out of school clubs,' but for this to be successful, we had to source a security solution we could manage that offered keyless access.”

"It looks like a handle, but we can give visitors a PIN that can be changed as often as we like,” said Grant. “We are already looking at more areas at the academy where we can install it.” The handle is securely fixed from the inside of the door, preventing removal from the outside. For safety reasons, the internal handle always allows easy exit.

"We recommended the electronic security handle because it's such a simple and instant way of achieving all the benefits of an electromechanical solution, with no need for any secondary locking unit,” said Darren Griffiths, owner of AW Keil. "Designed to enable conveniently controlled access to any door, it can handle high-usage passage doors such as the gym entrance point here.”

When not in passage mode, the handle can be easily relocked, turning it back into a “code to access” digital door lock. There are right- and left-hand versions, both with a stainless steel finish and a satin chrome trim. The CE-marked handle conforms to the mechanical requirements of EN1906.