BNFL has recently deployed biometric access control systems at its Sellafield plant in Seascale, Cumbria.
Hand geometry readers from US manufacturer Recognition Systems have been installed across the site.
Given that BNFL has some 20,000 pass holders, hand geometry recognition was chosen above competing technologies for its reliability and ability to cope with high numbers of users, both in terms of initial acquisition of biometric data (enrolment) and throughput, according to the Liverpool-based installers Human Recognition Systems. The technology has been integrated with HID’s iCLASS template on card technology. This enables a user’s biometric template to be stored on the card itself and not on a biometric device, or a central database. This provides a portable solution, the installers add, allowing the technology to be deployed anywhere across the site (or any other site), without the need to provide a data network between the readers for template distribution and management. In addition, the technology has also been integrated with PIN technology which acts as a third level of authentication. To gain access to some points, the user must own a valid card, have the matching hand and know a unique PIN number.
What they say
Simon Meyer, Human Recognition Systems Operations Director said, “It is really good to see all our hard work finally come to fruition. We have carried out a lot of bespoke development work for this project in order to meet the unique requirements of BNFL, and it has been a long time in the making. We are really pleased with the performance of the system so far and we are grateful to our Partner, Recognition Systems Inc., for their support throughout the project.”
The installers add that more than 90pc of US nuclear installations and 60pc of those in Japan are secured with hand recognition technology.
