Access control upgrades enhance service at Subiaco’s Lords Recreation Centre

Recent access control upgrades are helping Lords Recreation Centre in the Perth suburb of Subiaco streamline the experience for its members and safeguard its bottom line.

The 9,500 metre² facility features a pool, gym, group fitness area, indoor tennis, squash and sports courts, a café and creche, and is well used by the community.

Earlier this year the recreation centre installed two lanes of Centaman Entrance Control’s EasyGate SG at the entrance to its gym and two controlled doors to the pool area. This helps prevent people accessing the venue for other purposes, such as a sports match, from entering the pool or gym without paying.

Advising that the EasyGate SG is a popular solution for gyms and fitness centres, Centaman Entrance Control General Manager Michael Bystram explains “the EasyGate SG is user-friendly. On presentation of valid credentials, the barriers swing open to give a clear lane to walk through with a gym bag or pushchair. Its fast throughput is ideal for busy centres and, with a mean time between faults of 3,000,000 operations, it’s incredibly reliable.

“As the most affordable of Centaman Entrance Control’s EasyGate range, it is excellent value for money, while still offering our 24-month warranty.”

The pool doors are controlled by a scanner, which releases the door on presentation of a relevant membership tag or barcode.

This solution was chosen to provide security within the space available.

Lords Recreation Centre Coordinator Centre Services Julie Rechichi commented “pool safety has improved dramatically as the doors are now controlled to only allow access to authorised people.

“(Our access control solution) ensures all people entering areas are supposed to be there, therefore providing better security for members and staff.”

Both the speedgates and the controlled pool doors allow members to enter the gym and pool areas without needing to check in at reception. This reduces waiting times and the need to queue at reception prior to a workout.

As the facility is used by many families with children, safety was also of paramount importance, Bystram notes “no one wants to see a child injured by getting caught up in a gate or turnstile. With the EasyGate SG, infrared beams monitor the area around the gate to ensure the lane is clear before closing. If the barriers sense an obstruction, they stop moving until the way is clear.”

The EasyGate SG can also be integrated with a building’s fire alarm system to open automatically in an emergency.

The pool and gym access control solutions link with Lords Recreation Centre’s facility management software Envibe – a product by Centaman Entrance Control parent company Jonas Leisure. This provides facility management with accurate data about what areas customers are utilising at particular times, both at a holistic and individual member level.

Stating that the compatibility with their existing facility management software was one of the most important considerations in selecting an access control solution, alongside aesthetics, price and reliability, Rechichi added “accurate data about what areas our customers are utilising at particular times helps us to provide a better service.”

Click here to contact Centaman Entrance Control via their Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory entry.