Ceiling security clips are designed to deter access from one office or one part of a commercial building---often office buildings---to another through the crawl space between the structural ceiling and the drop ceiling. With residential framing and drywall construction methods producing solid ceilings, it would be difficult to move from one room to another through the ceiling. But drop ceilings present a specific security risk. Ceiling security clips fasten acoustic ceiling tiles so they are held in place by the clip and cannot be lifted from above, in the crawl space, but only from below in a lockable office.
Drop Ceilings
Drop ceilings are used almost exclusively in commercial structures and office buildings. Often steel girder construction with structural steel floor/ceiling members are hidden by a false or "drop ceiling." The drop ceiling serves multiple purposes, including providing acoustic-damping properties. But it also creates a space to route infrastructure such as plumbing, duct work, wiring and cable. Typical drop ceilings are constructed by hanging a metal grid from the structural ceiling. In each bay, an acoustic tile is held in place by gravity alone.
Curtain Walls
Commercial construction techniques often use trusses, which eliminate internal load-bearing walls. This creates a "shell" that is built out to tenant specifications. This often results in adjacent offices and adjacent suites of different businesses that are separated by a solid door, with only a cosmetic ceiling.
Acoustic Panels
An acoustic tile could easily be lifted in one office from below, allowing access to another office or suite by lifting an acoustic tile from above. The tiles themselves are lightweight and would not hold the weight of a human. But a person could gain access to an office or suite directly adjacent through the tiles. Or, once in the , a person might be able to navigate by walking on top of the nonbearing divider walls.
HIPPA
In 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (commonly referred to as HIPPA) was passed into law, with a number stages to be phased in over time. Although HIPPA specifically references the insurance industry, it affects many industries that store sensitive personal information, such as Social Security numbers. HIPPA created a new culture and awareness of security; it also created an industry of HIPPA compliance experts who educated businesses about their business exposure under HIPPA and in general. This environment of security-conscious commerce has made fertile ground for products such as security clips.
Tags: , ceiling drop, crawl space, drop ceiling, security clips