Gold Room Security Design
The gold room is the most concentrated point of value in any gold operation, and its security design demands a specialist approach. Hartley Garland Consulting (HGC) provides independent gold room security design, integrating physical security, electronic security, CCTV, access control, alarm systems and security procedures into a single, defensible framework.
Effective gold room security design is not a catalogue of equipment. It is a layered system in which each control reinforces the others, and in which every person who enters, every gram that is weighed, and every dore bar that leaves is authorised, recorded and reconcilable. Gold room security design also forms part of wider project security design.
Physical security
Physical security is the foundation of gold room design. We specify hardened construction, minimal and controlled entry points, secure dore and bullion storage or vaulting, protected weighing and pour areas, and layered barriers that separate the gold room from the wider plant. The aim is to concentrate the highest-value material behind the strongest, most accountable controls.
Electronic security
Electronic security complements the physical envelope. We design intrusion detection on the gold room perimeter, doors, vault and roof and void spaces, integrated with monitoring so any unauthorised entry is detected and recorded in real time, including after hours when the room is sealed.
CCTV and surveillance
CCTV must give complete, tamper-resistant coverage of every point where gold is exposed, the pour, weighing, reconciliation and dore handover, with no blind spots and resolution adequate to support investigation. We design camera placement, retention and monitoring so footage is usable as evidence, not just deterrence.
Access control
Access control governs who can enter the gold room and when. We design biometric or card-based access control, two-person (dual custody) rules, segregation of duties, visitor and contractor management, and audit logging, so presence in the gold room is always authorised and attributable.
Alarm systems
Alarm systems tie the controls together: intrusion, duress and vault alarms with clear escalation to a monitoring point and a defined response protocol. We ensure alarms are tested, monitored and integrated with access control and CCTV so an event triggers an immediate, recorded response.
Security procedures
Technology only works with disciplined procedures. We design the operating procedures around the gold room, pour, weighing and reconciliation, dore handover and dispatch, cleaning and clean-up, key and code control, and visitor escort, so controls are followed consistently and every handover is documented and reconcilable.
Gold Room Security Design: Common Questions
What is gold room security design?
Gold room security design is the specialist discipline of protecting the highest-value area of a gold plant by integrating physical security, electronic security, CCTV, access control, alarm systems and operating procedures into one layered, auditable system.
What are the key elements of a secure gold room?
Hardened physical construction and secure storage, electronic intrusion detection, full-coverage CCTV, strict access control with dual custody, monitored alarm systems, and disciplined procedures for pouring, weighing, reconciliation and handover.
Can you improve security in an existing gold room?
Yes. HGC assesses the current gold room, identifies the gaps across all six control areas, and designs a proportionate upgrade that strengthens protection without halting production.
Ready to strengthen your gold room security?
Speak with a specialist about independent gold room security design.