FM has paid more than $50,000 to re-key facilities due to lost keys in the last four years. During the first week of November a single ring was lost that impacted nine different buildings in the AHC and will cost at least $50,000 to re-key exterior and high-priority interior doors.
FM must do all we can to protect University employees, research, equipment and facilities - striking a balance between security and convenience as we provide our services. Moving forward we will minimize the keys in daily circulation, while maintaining access to those needed to successfully complete our work.
Here are a few changes you will be seeing:
- Keys, including vehicle keys, will stay on campus (supervisors will note any exceptions) and be stored in key boxes
- Grand Master keys will be kept on campus at all times, removed from the key box only for a specific task and then returned
- Key rings will only contain one Grand Master key
- Individuals will sign out keys and be held responsible for their safe return
FM will adopt this new key issuance procedure by December 15, 2008. All units are ordering key boxes that will be installed in a secure location. These boxes require an ID’d “peg” to withdraw the key ring. In order to check out keys, an employee will sign them out at the beginning of each shift and then sign the keys back in at the end of each shift. Those individuals tasked with opening multiple buildings at the beginning of a shift will be allowed to leave campus with the key(s) necessary to get them to the lock box area.
This procedure is an interim step until funds are identified to install card swipes at the exterior of buildings and biometric key boxes inside buildings. Please keep in mind that the more keys an individual carries the more risk that person assumes. It’s in both the University’s and our employees’ best interest to carry as few keys as necessary.
Mike |
