Ame os seus membros, invista em biometria!

It’s the New Year and everyone is on a health kick. Figures from the 2018 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report, highlight the fitness markets continued growth, driven by operators and members. According to the report 1 in 7 people in Britain now have a gym membership. With so many people wanting to join health and fitness centers, what is the best way to love your members and keep them in 2019?

Why do Health and Fitness businesses need effective security?

Health and fitness businesses have traditionally used barcoded membership cards or fobs to manage access and keep track of members. These systems are prone to
misuse, abuse, and loss. They are also complicated and time-consuming to set up. Many health and fitness centres run at more than one location, and offer a range of different membership packages, so managing access can be complicated. Customers don’t want to wait around in a queue when they arrive, especially if they are running late for class!

While you might think that there are few security risks in the health and fitness sector, you may be surprised by the areas that businesses need to consider when it comes to risk management:

• unauthorised people entering the gym, or entering areas where access is restricted
• the risk of staff members being attacked or assaulte
• the risk of fraud, theft from changing rooms or on-site shops, robbery or vandalis
• Health and safety liability

People just slipping in

One of the oldest forms of gym membership abuse is unauthorised access, it’s known as ‘buddy punching’ – this can come about many ways. Members can share membership cards or pins, with other members, friends, family or non-members. Non-members can also wander in and gain access if they are quick enough by tailgating a member. Many gyms don’t keep records up to date and often they have little idea who is coming and going. This makes it very difficult to know what is going on and who is in the building if there is an incident.

How biometrics can help with the flow

Before the development of biometric access control systems, most businesses were reliant on keys, fobs, swipe cards and keypads to control access. All of these methods are prone to loss, falsification, and abuse (whether intentional or not), they only check what someone has, not who they are. Furthermore, none of them give you the ability to know who has entered your gym or at what time they gained access.

By removing the need for keys, fobs, swipe cards and keypad combinations you can take complete control of who has access to your gym. You can control the times at which members have access and have an accurate record of their entry and exit times. Non-members won’t be able to gain access! All of this is possible through the use of biometrics.

A biometric access control system can range from quite simple single-entry fingerprint readers through to more complex multipoint entry systems. Turnstiles, a preferred method of controlling the movement of members in health and fitness businesses, can be fitted with a biometric fingerprint reader. This means that staff don’t have to check members as they enter the gym. With a biometric fingerprint reader, you decide which of your members have access, at times that fit with their membership level or your gym’s policies on entry.

Control access to all of your gym

You can also control access to specific parts of your gym too: for example, allowing premium members to enter the sauna or spa area, while staff can access the whole building. This means that you always have control of who comes in. Moreover, with centralised access control, an administrator can control alarms, lock or unlock doors, enable or disable door sense? and other access control features from a single interface, in a matter of seconds. If someone defaults on their membership payments, with the click of a few buttons, their membership is suspended, and access won’t be granted. When they next try to come in, you will have the opportunity to discuss bringing their account up to date.

Fingers can do more

Biometric fingerprint readers are widely accepted as being one of the most secure forms of biometric control. Fingerprints cannot be lost, stolen, duplicated or changed.

Combining a biometric access control system with a safety monitoring system creates a very powerful security system, allowing you to monitor not just the entrances and exits of your building, but communal and staff areas too. This can help you to prevent theft, robbery, vandalism, as well as providing a means to mitigate health and safety issues such as slips, trips or falls.

With the addition of a bolt-on time and attendance package, biometric systems can be used to track staff movement, making employee management easier and less time-consuming. In an industry that often relies on agency and shift workers, it’s vital to have a robust system to check billed hours against actual.

GDPR: no need to worry

Our biometric fingerprint readers meet the highest standards of security, combining cutting-edge technology with the best biometric components. We use patented encryption technology with a highly accurate algorithm. We never capture or store a complete image of a person fingerprint. Furthermore, it’s not possible to use any fingerprint data outside of the system. We take security seriously and comply with international regulations.

If you are thinking of implementing a safety monitoring system or biometrics solution you need to undertake a security audit. This will identify if there is a need for such technology and what the benefits will be to your business. We will advise you of your responsibilities under GDPR and can provide a range of tools to help with security compliance.

Why Almas?

Almas are experts in security for gyms. We have a strong presence in the health and fitness sector and provide many different types of fitness business with security solutions tailored to their needs.

We will help you to build an integrated security solution which will improve the flow of people entering your gym, and can advise you of your responsibilities under GDPR. We offer a range of payment options, including no upfront cost and full maintenance. Almas customers have access to a technical hotline 24/7 and strict SLAs. Why not set yourselves apart from the competition and make your members love you (even more)!

When did you last review your security provision?

As businesses grow and evolve, risks change. Get in touch today for your security audit by calling 0333 567 6677. If you prefer, you can always send a confidential email via enquiries@almas-industries.com.

Until the end of March 2019, we are offering all health and fitness businesses free installation and free time and attendance add-on when they sign up for a CCTV safety system, biometric system or security alarm.