11.  Access control to buildings and premises

11.1 Introduction

Access control to residential buildings and restricted premises such as shops, banks and government offices is now widespread in all urban areas. In addition, sensitive sites such as research laboratories, "secret defense" premises, and dangerous locations such as those involving ionizing radiation, gas or vapor emissions, or high-intensity electrical currents, must be reserved for authorized personnel to the exclusion of all others.

In certain circumstances, government bodies require compliance with a set of specifications that meet very specific safety criteria.

Depending on the nature of the protected activity and the presumed seriousness of a foreign intrusion, access control is of one or other of the following...