Secure Doors versus Safe Escape: Are Your Access Control Decisions Defensible?

29 Apr 2026
Security Leaders Summit
Security Leaders Summit

At the core of NSI’s Code of Practice NCP 109 is an important tension:  access control systems must prevent unauthorised access but they must also allow safe escape in emergencies.  This seminar tackles that challenge head-on.

As electronic locking becomes the norm and access control systems grow ever more sophisticated, designers, installers and building operators shoulder greater responsibility. Securing access is only part of the equation; life safety and safe egress are equally critical and every decision must be defensible under scrutiny.

This session provides the NSI perspective on designing, installing, commissioning and maintaining access control systems in today’s real-life scenarios. Matthew and Dave will lead a candid discussion on the challenges, including:

·       Door function and day-to-day operational pressures

·       Retrofitting and managing existing doors

·       Balancing security with safe escape

·       Where Standards, responsibilities and design assumptions intersect

·       The importance of informed judgement and clear, defensible documentation

Who should attend?
NSI-certified companies, specifiers and anyone responsible for access control compliance who want a clearer understanding of the considerations involved in supporting both security and safe escape.

Speakers
Matthew Holliday
Matthew Holliday, Technical Director - National Security Inspectorate (NSI)
Dave Robinson
Dave Robinson, Head of Product and Technical (Systems) - National Security Inspectorate (NSI)