OrbitSecurity Group

Fail-safe vs fail-secure is a door decision, not a slogan

Maglocks, strikes, and fire interfaces belong on a door schedule. “Card access” is not a specification.

Jul 14, 2026 · Access control · via Field notes

Access control copy on a proposal is often one line: “card readers at main doors.” That line does not tell an electrician how the door behaves when power dies, or whether the fire panel drops the maglock.

Each opening needs a hardware set, fail-safe or fail-secure, request-to-exit, and lock power. Life-safety interfaces are not optional on maglocked egress. If the designer cannot put that on a spreadsheet, they are not designing access — they are selling readers.

We keep this work light: a handful of doors, a gate, a shop. The schedule still has to be real. Install stays case-by-case.

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