Installing a “man trap” at the Social Hall doors

A DOORWAY WITH AN ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM functions as a security checkpoint. It is the first line of defense against would-be intruders or vandals. One type of access control system is known as a “man trap.” It consists of a small space and two separately controlled entrance ways, in sequence.

(That name was coined in an earlier era — when the word “man” was used to refer to any person who was in a certain situation, without regard to their gender. As in the boater’s classic distress cry, “Man overboard!”)

Below the jump, this post describes how that security concept would be applied to our Social Hall entrance on Main Street.…

Entering

In our case, during the week when our office is open, access to the Social Hall stairwell would be remotely controlled manually by our staff (which monitors the patio via a video camera). After they unlock the outer gate, they would wait until that gate locks shut again before they unlock the building door itself. 

And at night, the outer gate would function to deter vandalism. 

When conceived of independently of other measures along the Main Street frontage, the configuration would look like this:

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

The wiring and locking devices needed for remote control are already being installed under the state security grant. Meanwhile, the gate would be installed under the Federation security grant.

Leaving

Despite the name “man trap,” most such configurations do allow someone to exit freely; they don’t literally trap anyone inside the space. In our case, there would be a push-bar control for unlocking the outer gate, which would swing outward. Anyone inside the gate could therefore leave at will. That ability is necessary anyway to allow emergency egress from the building.

A Best Practice

As one security company says on its website:

If you’re looking to keep your buildings secure, use mantraps. [They] are a great way to protect your business by catching any unwanted intruders before they can get too far into the premises. They are also an excellent tool for protecting your employees from harm, as well as safeguarding any sensitive information that may be on site.

“Thank you” to Ellie Laycook, our executive director, for calling my attention to this “best practices” security concept.

SOURCES:
https://corpsecurity.org/blog/mantraps-access-control/
https://www.andersonlock.com/blog/man-trap/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantrap_(access_control)