Monday Tech Talk – Safe Access Control

Access control is often misunderstood. Many think it begins and ends with turnstiles, signing a visitor’s book, or scanning an access card. But on a construction site or operational facility, access control is far more significant — it is the very first layer of safety. It decides who may enter, where they may go, and whether they are equipped and competent to be there at all.

Allowing the wrong person into a hazardous area — an uninducted worker, an untrained contractor, or even a member of the public — can result in catastrophic consequences. Fires, falls, electrocution, crushing incidents, and fatalities have all occurred because access was not properly controlled.

Access control is not about restricting movement. It is about protecting the right people inside and keeping everyone else safely out.

Why Access Control Matters

Access control is the first line of defence before a tool is picked up or a piece of equipment is switched on. Every person on site must be:

• Competent
• Inducted
• Authorised
• Equipped with the correct PPE

If any of these conditions are missing, the individual should not be on site — and certainly not near hazardous areas. Access control prevents unsafe behaviours before they can begin.

Access Failures and Real-World Consequences

Poor access control has been the root cause of multiple fatal incidents. In many cases, the hazard was not extraordinary — the failure was simply allowing the wrong person to enter a high-risk space.

An untrained person accessing a roof, a visitor stepping into a demolition zone, a contractor entering a plant room without understanding electrical risks — each represents a foreseeable, preventable danger.

Technology vs. Procedure: Finding the Balance

While modern tools like facial recognition, biometrics, and turnstiles help secure entry points, technology alone cannot guarantee safety.

Effective access control requires:

• Verification of inductions
• Issuing and reviewing permits
• Escorts for visitors
• Communication tools such as radios
• Responsibility assigned to real people

Reflection: Technology assists, but responsibility drives safety. Without competent oversight, access control becomes a box-ticking exercise.

Legal Requirements for Access Control

Access control is not optional. It is a legal obligation.

According to the Construction Regulations (2014) and SANS 10400 Part F:

• Sites in built-up areas must be fenced, hoarded, or barricaded
• Public must be protected from falling objects and ongoing work
• Access must be controlled to prevent unauthorised entry

Construction Regulation 27 reinforces this by requiring good housekeeping:

• Clear walkways
• Debris-free access routes
• Safe entry and exit points

If someone can walk unprotected into a danger zone, access control has failed — legally and operationally.

Practical Controls That Strengthen Safe Access

Safe access is built through layers of protection:

• Controlled entry points
• Visitor and delivery logs
• PPE checks at the gate
• Permit-to-Work (PTW) linked to high-risk jobs
• Clear signage directing people to the site office
• Emergency contact and evacuation plans posted at entrances

Individually, each measure seems simple. Together, they build a safety net.

Zoning and Safe On-Site Movement

Access control extends beyond the main gate. Once inside, people must be guided safely between work zones:

• Marked pedestrian walkways
• Segregation from vehicle routes
• Enforced exclusion zones around cranes, excavations, and lifting activities
• Clear, unobstructed fire escapes
• Only competent persons using scaffolding and access equipment

Zoning prevents one of the deadliest risks on construction sites: man–machine collisions.

Scaffolding Access: High Risk, High Responsibility

Scaffolding is one of the most used — and most dangerous — access systems on site.

SANS 10085-1 (2024) requires:

• Competent design and inspection
• Guardrails and toeboards
• Fully boarded platforms
• Safe internal ladders or stair towers
• Daily green-tag system
• Inclusion in the Fall Protection Plan

Temporary Works: Controlled Access Is Essential

Temporary works such as formwork, falsework, and edge protection require:

• Competent design and sign-off
• Exclusion zones below
• Rescue plans
• Compliance with SANS 10400-B

Uncontrolled access around temporary works endangers both workers and the public.

Roof Access: One of the Highest-Risk Activities

Access to roofs must follow strict controls:

• CR 10 Fall Protection Plan
• Only competent, inducted persons allowed
• Permanent lifelines, anchors, or guardrails
• Never working alone
• Public exclusion below

Roof access without fall protection is not work — it is gambling with lives.

Electrical Access Control

Access control also governs electrical safety:

• Fire exits must stay unlocked and unobstructed
• Live electrical areas must be restricted to authorised persons
• Emergency exits must fail open during alarms

Electricity does not allow second chances. Access must always restrict risk.

Access Control in Live Buildings and Shopping Centres

Working in operational facilities introduces unique challenges:

• PTW required for hot work, ceiling voids, roof access
• Noise and dust control
• Work often performed after hours
• Tenants must coordinate contractors to avoid uncontrolled work

Permit-to-Work: The Heart of Safe Access

A permit is more than a form — it is a risk control contract.

It includes:

• Contractor details and work description
• Required control measures (barriers, fall arrest, lockout)
• Start/finish dates
• Approval and acceptance signatures

If a high-risk activity has no permit, it must not begin.

Quick Safety Checklists

To bring it all together:

Construction Gate: PPE, induction proof, PTW, medical status
Scaffold: Decked, guardrails, green tag
Roof: Anchors verified, exclusion zone established
Shopping Centre: Fire exits open, PTW in place, tenant alignment

 

Access control is not about gates, fences, turnstiles, or scanners. It is a safety system that protects people from the moment they enter a site until the moment they leave.

If the wrong person enters the wrong place at the wrong time, incidents happen. If access control is planned, enforced, and monitored, lives are saved.

Ask yourself: On your site, does access control exist on paper — or does it truly protect people?

Because safe access is controlled access.