Visitor badges provide a simple way for workers in your building to identify strangers. If security is a concern for your company, requiring that visitors wear badges is a step towards curbing unwanted access to your building. Someone might slip past even the most attentive security guards, but if you establish a policy that visitors must have an identifying badge and the intruder does not have one, any employee will be able to report him to security.

Gaining Unauthorized Access

Many offices and even schools have turnstiles and reception centers situated at the entrances of the building to control access. If someone is sufficiently motivated, however, he can find a way to get through these checkpoints without having the proper credentials. It is not always malicious intent that motivates this, but often the perceived inconvenience of having to register as a guest.

While entrances tend to be very secure, exits are often not monitored as closely. Many buildings have doors that only open from the inside, allowing employees to exit at different locations. This provides an additional security hazard, however, because someone might come in the exit as an employee is leaving.

Another security concern is visitors reusing the badges they were issued for earlier visits. Although there might be a date printed on the badge, if the old and new badges look identical, it might be difficult for your security staff to notice an expired badge. However, there are self-expiring badges available that change color after a set period of time. The bright color the badges change to when they have expired make it easy for security to identify unwanted visitors.

Visitor badges will not eliminate all of your security fears, but they do serve to restrict access. In addition to a security staff, regular employees can assist in ensuring that only authorized personnel are in the office. Coupled with a guest registration system and other security methods, you can make your office more secure and efficient, as well as more pleasant, as solicitors will not be granted access.