French Hospital Takes Control of Employee and Contractor Access with Assa Abloy's Ecliq
The Marin Hospital of Hendaye in the French Basque Country faced common challenges posed by mechanical access control. Relying on mechanical lock-and-key technology made it difficult or impossible to know who had been accessing sensitive areas like treatment rooms and medicine stores.
Another source of insecurity was the keys and passes issued to employees and contractors. These often remain in circulation beyond their approved use period — if former employees and service providers fail to return them.
To provide proper security for staff and patients, the hospital needed to upgrade their access control system.
Meeting the demands of a large and complex site requires a flexible solution which can secure interior and exterior hospital doors, as well as multiple other types of opening.
Also critical for The Marin Hospital of Hendaye is the ability to trace staff and external contractor movements into and between sensitive areas. An electronic access system with inbuilt audit trail capability was essential.
Hospital access traceable and tailored to user profiles
The hospital chose an Ecliq system based on programmable electronic keys and wireless cylinders. Since 2016, their security team has gradually rolled out Ecliq electronic access control to all care and logistics buildings, including drug stores, labs and other sensitive or confidential areas. The wireless Ecliq solution offers easy installation without the expense or disruption of laying dedicated cabling.
“The choice of this solution is based on reliability and simplicity of implementation for a site that covers 11 hectares,” explains Yves Bourdon, Security Director at The Marin Hospital of Hendaye, “It is the only solution that can equip more than 1,500 doors with quick and wireless installation.”
An Ecliq solution gives managers control over important aspects of hospital security. They can issue access tailored to an individual’s needs and level of authority — and amend it whenever required.
External service providers use an intelligent Ecliq key which automatically expires after a pre-defined period. This is much safer than relying on a contractor to return their mechanical key every time.
Employees enjoy much greater comfort and convenience: Carrying a single Ecliq key programmed with their own permissions makes bulky key bunches a distant memory.
“The Marin Hospital of Hendaye has gained in security, comfort and flexibility. Employees hold only one key compared to 5 or 6 keys before,” adds Yves Bourdon.
The rollout is ongoing, with another 500 Ecliq cylinders already ordered and ready to install.
The eCLIQ programmable key solution
A fully electronic extension of Assa Abloy’s award-winning Cliq access control technology, Ecliq is built around precision-engineered locking cylinders and high-end microelectronics. A standard battery inside each programmable electronic key powers the cylinder or padlock on insertion — and encrypts data transfer between lock, key and system.
The Ecliq cylinder range can bring almost any opening into an electronic access control system. Robust, durable Ecliq cylinder locks secure lifts, machines, mailboxes, cabinets and more with the same control as sensitive doors.
“Like many hospitals around Europe, The Marin Hospital of Hendaye now relies on programmable, wire-free access control which is backed by decades of Assa Abloy investment and innovation in lock and key technologies,” says Tatiana Bezie, Sales Manager at Assa Abloy Opening Solutions France. “Organizations equipped with Ecliq intelligent key-based access control can have confidence that their premises and employees are secure.”
