Triton master key system from ASSA ABLOY helps transform access management at Bath NHS Trust

The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust is the latest healthcare site to benefit from Triton², a patented, high-security master key system from ASSA ABLOY, delivering assured security and key control.

The Trust’s Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases and Brownsword Therapies Centre is a key facility to take advantage of the Triton² system. Opening in 2019 at the main Royal United Hospitals site in the Weston area of Bath, the Centre is an outpatient facility providing treatment, care, and education to those recovering from episodes of illness or injury, or who need help managing long-term conditions.

With services covering rheumatology, therapies, and pain management, the Centre includes clinic and treatment rooms, a gym, hydrotherapy pool, an assessment and teaching kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, Skype clinic room, and education rooms for forums and classes.

Secure and reliable key management

The Triton² master key system has also been installed in the Bernard Ireland House residential building, which offers specially-designed accommodation for patients, with facilities including group treatment areas, office space, and a dedicated therapeutic courtyard area. Triton² provides a safe, secure, and reliable means of key management for both the residents and staff, so they can focus on delivering the highest standards of care to patients.

Triton² provides a safe, secure, and reliable means of key management for both the residents and staff

When searching for a suitable master key system for these buildings, the Trust had a wide range of requirements that needed to be satisfied. Hospitals and healthcare estates typically have large and complex key demands, because of the high number of staff employed, the variety of areas requiring different levels of access rights, and the fact that security and safety must not be compromised.

Hierarchy of security access

Fortunately, Triton² was ideally suited to meet the Trust’s needs. Supplied and installed by local distributor Gemsec, the platform raises security standards by ensuring employees have different levels of security access based on their roles, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorised access and security breaches.

A hierarchy of access rights means no matter what an individual’s role at the site – whether it’s a general manager, doctors and nurses, tenants, porters, and so on – all have access to only the areas they need. And within each type of role, large availability of differs ensures access rights can be personalised to meet an individual’s exact requirements. The Trust’s estates team then has a master key, and there is a grandmaster key that sits above this that can access all areas.

The system helps simplify key management too; a member of staff can access a range of rooms and areas from a single key, rather than having to carry around a collection of them. Furthermore, the fact that one key can open several locks means fewer duplicates are needed. Should there be a security breach, it’s easy to identify who has access to a particular area and ensure the appropriate action is taken.

Patented key protection

Keys can only be cut by registered dealers, maintaining a high level of security should a key ever be misplaced

One of the key features of Triton² is its long-lasting patent protection. Guarding against unauthorised and 3D key copying, Triton² is patented until 2036 for guaranteed peace of mind. Keys can only be cut by registered dealers, maintaining a high level of security should a key ever be misplaced.

With built-in anti-pick, anti-pull, anti-drill, and anti-bump protection, the system’s cylinders exceed the requirements of BS EN 1303:2015, meeting the highest standards for physical security. The platform has also been fire tested in line with BS EN 1634-1:200, and so is suitable for use on 30- and 60-minute timber fire doors.

Easy and efficient future-proof solution

Anthony Green, Senior Estates Officer at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’ve been so impressed with the Triton² master key system from ASSA ABLOY that we’re now planning to review the rest of the estate in line with the capabilities of the platform, to roll it out to other facilities across the site.”

“The system delivers an assured future-proof solution. The Gemsec team has been a big help in ensuring we consider all likely events, as we continue to redevelop and expand the hospital site so that Triton² can meet any possible needs.”

“Even simple considerations, such as the fact that Triton² is available with a comprehensive range of cylinder profiles to suit every type of lock case, help us save money in the long run by making sure we would not have to install new lock cases if we were to expand the system to existing buildings across the site.

Secure and practical key management

“ASSA ABLOY’s Triton² is so impressive because it perfectly meets the complicated key needs of a healthcare site such as ours, but does it in such an intuitive, efficient, and easy to manage way.”

Craig Birch, Head of Product Management at the ASSA ABLOY Door Hardware Group, adds, “With long-life patent protection and 1.5 billion different master keying combinations, Triton² delivers a secure and practical key management solution, built to last. For the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Triton² offers a highly secure and durable master key platform.”