Owens Corning
Owens Corning Plant Hands Access Off To Biometrics
May 20, 2006
"Let's face it, your hand cannot be lost, forgotten or stolen like a password or ID card." - Roger Orr, Owens Corning
STATISTICS
Industry: Manufacturing
Application: Access Control
Number of users: 1,300
Number of handreaders: 6
Challenge: Secure the building without the use of badges or cards
Solution: RSI HandKey®
Results: A positive response from users and administration
At the Owens Corning 250-acre campus in Newark, Ohio, those seeking access to the manufacturing plant, as well as other facilities, must present their hands for a biometric scan to verify identification before admittance to the facilities. According to Rodger Orr, IS professional at Owens Corning, there is a good reason to require identification for entrance to the facilities.
"About two years ago, our main office receptionist retired and management decided not to replace her. For years, she had monitored who went in and out of the building, handing out visitor badges. Knowing we had to secure the building, we started looking into other options. Although everyone wore badges, we knew many would forget them and not be able to access the facility. So we started looking into biometric alternatives.
"At that time, I was taking a class for my masters degree at Mount Vernon College and a classmate was doing a report on biometrics," reports Orr. "He covered hand geometry extensively in his report so we investigated it and found it most suitable for our employees. As a result, we chose the hand geometry method as our primary access control device. Let's face it, your hand cannot be lost, forgotten or stolen like a password or ID card."
To enter the facility, an Owens Corning salaried employee simply enters their code and places their hand on the reader. Within a second, the HandReader picks out more than 90 identifying factors, including width, length, thickness and surface area, and compares it to a template. A match unlocks the door.
"We've had a positive response from our users," Orr relates. "I always double check a new enrollee's scan by entering that person's ID number and my own hand. Importantly, I can set an expiration date for contractors and salespeople who need temporary access to the facility. As a result, the HandReader will only accept the hand scan up until a certain date. We're also impressed that the system provides a duress code. This is a code that a person in need can enter prior to their normal code to notify us that they are in trouble.
"This system is especially efficient because multiple users with authorization can access the panel from their PCs over the computer network. For example, I was approached in the hallway recently by a vendor requesting hand geometry access to our building. I downloaded the software from the PC in my office, scanned the vendor's hand, keyed in his name and assigned an ID number on the spot. The entire process took only minutes."
STATISTICS
Industry: Manufacturing
Application: Access Control
Number of users: 1,300
Number of handreaders: 6
Challenge: Secure the building without the use of badges or cards
Solution: RSI HandKey®
Results: A positive response from users and administration
At the Owens Corning 250-acre campus in Newark, Ohio, those seeking access to the manufacturing plant, as well as other facilities, must present their hands for a biometric scan to verify identification before admittance to the facilities. According to Rodger Orr, IS professional at Owens Corning, there is a good reason to require identification for entrance to the facilities.
"About two years ago, our main office receptionist retired and management decided not to replace her. For years, she had monitored who went in and out of the building, handing out visitor badges. Knowing we had to secure the building, we started looking into other options. Although everyone wore badges, we knew many would forget them and not be able to access the facility. So we started looking into biometric alternatives.
"At that time, I was taking a class for my masters degree at Mount Vernon College and a classmate was doing a report on biometrics," reports Orr. "He covered hand geometry extensively in his report so we investigated it and found it most suitable for our employees. As a result, we chose the hand geometry method as our primary access control device. Let's face it, your hand cannot be lost, forgotten or stolen like a password or ID card."
To enter the facility, an Owens Corning salaried employee simply enters their code and places their hand on the reader. Within a second, the HandReader picks out more than 90 identifying factors, including width, length, thickness and surface area, and compares it to a template. A match unlocks the door.
"We've had a positive response from our users," Orr relates. "I always double check a new enrollee's scan by entering that person's ID number and my own hand. Importantly, I can set an expiration date for contractors and salespeople who need temporary access to the facility. As a result, the HandReader will only accept the hand scan up until a certain date. We're also impressed that the system provides a duress code. This is a code that a person in need can enter prior to their normal code to notify us that they are in trouble.
"This system is especially efficient because multiple users with authorization can access the panel from their PCs over the computer network. For example, I was approached in the hallway recently by a vendor requesting hand geometry access to our building. I downloaded the software from the PC in my office, scanned the vendor's hand, keyed in his name and assigned an ID number on the spot. The entire process took only minutes."
