It may seem a trivial and, even at times, “low-tech” requirement. But effective visitor badge policies and systems can serve as a crucial frontline in workplace security solutions.
For many large organisations, it is important to maintain security and confidentiality within organisational facilities. One of the simplest ways to manage this is through mandating all persons on site are wearing visible credentials.
With such a policy implemented, it is quick and easy to spot anyone who is present in the facility and is not wearing such credentials. Especially in larger organisations where it is not practical for staff to know and be able to identify everyone who works at the location.
An effective visitor badge system requires clear guiding principles. In addition to ensuring that these principles are communicated to all employees within a facility. Your policy should cover the following:
The best way to ensure your badge policy is easy to apply is to require that everyone present in the facility is wearing a badge at all times.
Make it clear what an authorised badge looks like. This makes it simple for employees to spot any attempts to enter the facility with a forgery.
Your system should clearly outline the types of badges that people may be required to wear. For example, a basic office environment may simply require ‘staff’, ‘contractor’ and ‘visitor’ designated badges, however as you move into more complex manufacturing and engineering workplace environments you may add additional badge designations like ‘manufacturing’ or even ‘security’, where you require different clearance levels across your employee population to manage where they may enter on-site.
For many organisations, security is essential. In particular, where confidential information or intellectual property could be exposed to visitors on-site if they enter certain areas. Additionally, occupational health and safety requirements may require visitors to only be in some areas with supervision.
A great way to manage these requirements is to build this into your visitor badge system and policy. Once you have your visitor types determined, consider where different visitor types are allowed to be on your site.
Are there areas they can be left unsupervised? Such as reception or lunch and break out areas. What about areas where they may be if accompanied by an employee?
And of course, clearly designate the areas where a visitor may not be under any circumstances.
Once you have developed your visitor badging policy, the next, and in many ways most crucial, step is to determine how you will implement and maintain your system.
Designing a badge can be hard without a reference to work from. Luckily, we have you covered! To get started, here is the essential information to consider including on your design.
For a visitor badge to be effective, consider some specific information that needs to be featured (we’ve even got a great image of an example visitor badge):
If you are using access control systems integrated with your employee badging systems, one of the most important considerations for design may be counterintuitive, but it’s crucial.
Do not include the company name on the badge.
Why? Because if an employee ever loses their access badge, the last thing you want is for someone who finds it to know where it can grant them entry to! Instead, provide a contact number for if the badge is found. Be mindful of choosing a number that can not be traced or linked to your company.
Including relevant information on a visitor badge, such as a photo, requires a system that can quickly capture this information and include it on a badge. The last thing you want is a line of visitors waiting at your front desk while a receptionist prepares their individualised badges.
This is where Sine comes in.
Sine makes it simple for visitors to check themselves in and provide information for their visitor badge, which is then printed instantly.
For many organisations, the move to paperless is an everpresent objective. With the Sine Pro mobile app, you can implement an entirely paperless solution. Sine Pro allows visitors to check in through their personal mobile device. This generates a digital visitor badge on their phone that can then be shown throughout the facility. Ensuring they are still able toverify that they have checked in if asked.
