Why Should You Add A Restricted Keyway Lock To A Steel Door?

If one of your office or store doors is made of steel, then you know that the door is pretty secure. Steel doors are hard to break through or break down.

However, even steel doors have weak points. If some of your employees need to use this door to come in and out of work, then you might need to give out keys. As you do this, you lose some access control.

To boost your security, it's worth installing a restricted keyway lock to the door. How do these locks work and what are their benefits?

What Is a Restricted Keyway Lock?

Restricted keyway locks look like any other lock; they work pretty much the same. However, these locks have special cylinders inside. You can only open the lock if you use a key that fits the internal cylinder.

Once you have the right lock in the door, you have to think about its keys. Typically, a restricted keyway lock comes with a set number of matching keys. The locksmith that fixes the lock for you will start a log of the keys you hold.

They also ask you to give them a list of one or more people who can give them permission to cut more keys in the future. These people may need to give ID and a signature to go on file. The locksmith will only cut more keys in the future if the request comes from one of these people. They'll have to prove their identity before they can order keys.

Why Use Restricted Keyway Locks?

If you have to give some employees keys to your door, then you have to trust that they won't take advantage. One common worry is that a keyholder will have a copy made of a key without your knowledge.

For example, an employee could hand over a key to someone else so that they can make a copy and break into your premises. Or, someone could make a copy before they leave your employment and hand over their official key.

In either case, you won't know that this has happened. If you use a restricted keyway lock, then people can't make copies of the key unless you give them permission to do so. You'll always know how many keys are out there and who holds them. This makes your lock, and door, much more secure.

To find out more about your options, contact local locksmiths and ask about suitable keyway systems for commercial steel door exit controls.