Whether a business premise is for a clothing factory or an accounting firm, there are bound to be countless entry points that involved select personnel needs to access. It would be highly inefficient to issue different keys for every entry and person. This is where a master key system comes to solve this inefficiency.
A master key is a single key that operates on multiple locks. It is a solution designed for cases that require a person or a group of people to have instant access to entries of their interest. It is a cost—effective solution that enhances the security of your building and simplifies navigating it.
Read more to learn about how a master lock system can simply secure your business premises and how an expert locksmith for master keys can help build careful planning and implement one catered to the needs of your business premise.
How Does a Master Key Work?
On its own, a master key is nothing special. It is essentially a normal key with no other intricate mechanism. The actual mechanisms that power a master key system are the locks that a single key needs to be able to unlock. The locks have to be designed to accommodate accepting more than one key.
Most locks have a mechanism called the pin tumbler lock that disallows an incorrect key from opening the lock. The locks tend to have two pins that align with the tumbler gaps once a correct key is inserted. As a result of the pins moving out of the way, the lock is allowed to turn and open.
A lock designed for master keys has another set of these pins. That set works the same way for one or multiple keys with the accepted master key code.
What is a Master Lock System?
A master key lock system is a group of master keys and their respective locks and hierarchy levels. The design and intricacy of a master key system is carefully tailored to the business premise, users, and needs of the building. Its design aims to make the access point entries both secure and convenient by limiting the access of keys so that only authorized users can enter the access points.
The access levels tend to have up to four hierarchy levels, ascending from the highest to the lowest:
- Great Grand Master Key: It grants access to entry to all three access levels below it. It may have further levels above it, which would begin with “Great”, e.g. “Great Great Grand Master Key.”
- Grand Master Key: Like Great Grand Master Key, its access level is also wide. It can not access Great Grand Master Key entries but it can access both levels below it.
- Master Key: Its access is limited to its level and the lowest level.
- Change Key: This is the typical key that grants access to only one lock. Its entry levels can be accessed by all the hierarchy levels above it.
The amount of hierarchy levels depends on the building purpose. For example, just a level two hierarchy might be enough for an apartment complex. However, for a big cooperation building, a complex level four or an even higher hierarchy level is likely to be appropriate.
How Should the Master Key Systems Be Planned For Your Business Premise?
There is no one—size—fits—all approach for master key systems. The management should contemplate the needs and entry points flow of the business premise, and consult a master key locksmith to sort out what kind of plan fits the needs of business premise the best. A locksmith for master keys would then construct a master key system plan catered to your business premise.
Advantages of Master Keys
Master lock systems bring advantage to your business premise’s security and control in a variety of ways.
Security
A master key system allows you to easily restrict entry to locations only to personnel who need access. For example, you can prevent your subset of employees from entering rooms containing sensitive documents that should not be accessible to them but allow them to enter the areas that their work requires. Additionally, as a single key or fewer keys are easier to handle than a ring of many keys, the keyholders may also be less likely to lose their keys.
Convenience
The bigger amount of entry points, the harder it is to carry around the ring of keys and rummage through a big and heavy ring to find the right key. For example, it would be unreasonable for the cleaning crew to have to carry a tremendous key ring to access all the rooms they need to clean a big building.
Having a single master key to access all the needed entry points eliminates the inefficiency of many keys. It can also be tremendously helpful in the event of emergencies. If you need to quickly access an area due to an emergency, you can quickly do so with a master key without having to go through a ring to find the right key.
Efficiency
Business premises tend to have countless rooms and people to navigate through them. It would be highly unideal to have different keys for each and every entry point and person. It would amass a tremendous amount of keys and consequential hefty costs, as well as cause inconvenience for keyholders to manage the rings.
A master key system solves such an inefficient issue by reducing the number of keys per keyholder to a single key or at least much fewer keys. It would also save you a hefty amount of costs by reducing the number of keys to create and issue. As the number of keys would be drastically fewer, it is also easier to manage and keep track of the keys flow in the business premise.
How to Keep the Master Key System Secure?
Despite the various benefits that make your building navigation efficient, master lock systems also come with vulnerability. Should your master key be lost and fall into malicious hands, then it can compromise not just one but multiple entry points. Hence, you should take measures to upkeep robust security for your master keys.
Be Cautious With Issuing Keys
Master keys should be given only to select people for areas that they would reasonably require access to. The higher sensitive an area is, the more you should be cautious about distributing the keys. You should carefully map out a plan for who should get a master key, for what area, and why, as well as keep track of it. A key tracking software can be highly beneficial for this endeavor.
Restrict Authorization to Duplicating or Issuing Keys to Trusted Personnel
There should be a firm policy that would require permission to have master keys duplicated or copied. This should be restricted to trusted signatories with the appropriate authority. With this control measure, a locksmith would only accept to duplicate or cut keys upon authorization from the signatories.
Have the Lock Replaced If Master Key Is Lost
You should seek a reliable locksmith’s services promptly as soon as you learn of a master key being lost. Not just a locksmith can craft a new master key without having access to the original one, but they can also implement a new, secure lock. This is very critical to ensure the security of the access point of the lost master key, because you do not want to risk a bad event by neglecting the potential compromise of the lock.
Enhance And Simplify the Security of Your Premise With Master Lock System
With our 5 years of experience in serving Toronto with our stellar locksmith services, we can secure your business premise with the optimal master lock system. Our expert master key locksmiths can help you sort out a master key system perfect for your business premise and its needs and implement it. Additionally, we can happily assist with any further services required to keep your master key system working securely and smoothly.