Handshake Free Zones - A New Idea To Mitigate The Spread Of Potentially Harmful Germs

Mark Sklansky, a pediatric cardiologist and self-described germaphobe, tested a new method for limiting the spread of germs in 2 UCLA neonatal intensive care units.

He describes the method as a "handshake free zone".

According to an article that appears on NPR, the doctor tried these "handshake free zones" in an attempt to minimize the spread of germs often transferred in hospital (clean) environments.

The article talks about how harmful bacteria are too easily spread in hospital environments, suggesting that patients dont come to hospital to get sick, rather to find treatment for illnesses.

EDIT: Another article has appeared on ABC News  today that expands upon the NPR article. I found this quote particularly interesting...

"WHO estimates of compliance for hand hygiene in medical settings frequently fall below 40 percent, Sklansky said. Poor hand hygiene can mean increased risk for hospital-acquired infections, which kill approximately 80,000 patients in the U.S. each year, according to the WHO." 

We have talked about the fabulous Meroni Anti-Bacterial door handles on a few recent occasions and have received a number of diligent inquiries about these products.

The Meroni Anti-Bacterial handles are especially designed using a special polymer designed by Meroni to lessen the spread of pathogen micro-organisms, thereby mitigating the spread of germs through contact.

Meroni Pigio Anti-Bacterial

The Pigio Anti-Bacterial handle offers not only a method to mitigate the spread of germs, but is the first handle of it's kind to be awarded  CE EN179 certification by European Door and Hardware Federation, in compliance with building codes for emergency exits. A truly "hands-free" mechanical door lock that you can open with your hip or your elbow.

By offering the anti-bacterial components too, Meroni make available high quality, simple to operate door handles that will match almost any decor or ambience in use by many hospitals, clinics and medical or laboratory facilities.

Meroni Combina Anti-Bacterial

The Combina Anti-Bacterial handle offers a typical door knob type model, that can fit in replacement of many other brands with little to no door modifications. Also available in conventional coatings, the broad color range of the Combina product line make it another product that will fit in with modern decor and ambience, desired by many interior designers, architects and floor managers.

Meroni products are exclusively brought to you by Master Key Systems America LLC

Our Most Popular Products Include...

 The Bilock Deadbolt Lock. Our signature product, from when we first opened our business here in the USA, a little over 10 years ago is still Bilock. The Bilock Deadbolt is the most popular of the Bilock products repeatedly requested.
Concerned consumers request Bilock due to it's superior resistance to picking and bumping. The color coded keys help in easily identifying correct operating keys. Our signature authority system prevents unauthorised key production. Often, we can provide just the Bilock cylinder and keys that can be installed in many existing leading brands of hardware too, minimizing the cost to the homeowner and maintaining the existing ambience of the trim on the door.

The Pigio 1 by Serrature Meroni, is quickly rising as one of our popularly requested products because it allows the user to easily operate the push pull mechanism without the need to grip and turn the knob

The Pigio 2 by Serrature Meroni is also seeing increased popularity for similar reasons the the Pigio 1.  

The Combina by Serrature Meroni is the modern version of the unique Premiapri mechanism and is available in so many color options to suit varying tastes of consumers. 

The Cowdroy P697 Keyed Pocket Door Lock (now discontinued by us) was the first of our popular lock systems for pocket or cavity doors. It was pulled from our inventory for not meeting ADA/Building codes. (Key operated both sides)

The enormously popular best seller, The Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock exceeds the requirement of the many pocket door owners across the USA and Canada. The unique design, combined with a 5 pin tumbler that is identical to a Kwikset Keyway, complements this product. The Lockwood range of picket and cavity door locks, also includes privacy (bathroom/bedroom), passage and passage latching versions. 

 The Serrature Meroni range of furniture and cabinet lock systems, mechanisms, electronic control desk lock systems, drawer hinges, door closers, electric strikes, door handles, mailbox locks, etc are second to none worldwide for their quality and vast product range. This fine Italian company is on the cutting edge of design, that many other brands look to, for improving their offerings too. Still the best and still the worldwide leader in intelligent and ambient locking systems.

The Meroni Nova is the flagship of the Serrature Meroni line of door handle hardware. Easily our second most poular selling product.

The Combina Anti-Bacterial handle system prevents the spread of unwanted pathogens or diseases by dissipating germs on contact. Perfect solution for child care centers, hospitals, aged care facilities.

 The Bilock Grade 2 Light Duty Commercial/Heavy Duty Residential entrance set comes with a 15 year warranty on the hardware. Unique keying system and bump proof/pick resistant mechanism makes this product complement the Bilock Deadbolt written about above.

 Hooply, a Chinese range of specialty handles and locking systems aimed at residential markets that are prone to hurricanes or brash weather systems are a popular product found most often in New York City or Florida. We were once the dealer for this product line, but found demand too small to continue. We still have contacts with the manufacturer and their catalog. We are happy to prvide the company contact to enquirers.

 Sliding Patio Doors are one of our most common service requests by customers. We service and lubricate a great many of these doors across the greater St Louis Region, often without requiring to replace wheels or rollers.

A Simple repair usually takes about an hour (average) and costs about $99, including attendance and lube.

The Lockwood 002L is a rim mounted lever deadlatch that is one of, if not the strongest in it's class of secure locking hardware products. Not cheap. Expertly designed and demanded by those who demand the ultimate security.

Lockwood's flagship product for over 50 years is still the best.

Meroni Combination Cabinet Locks - Perfect For Car Dealerships And Sales Offices

Meroni manufactures a brilliant yet competitively priced alternative to drawer and cupboard/cabinet security that operates easily for use in high turnover vocations, like sales offices, car dealerships etc, where sales people often move offices/desks sometimes more often than normal.

Enter the Meroni 10 series resettable combination lock system.

The product can be typically used to replace existing cam and file cabinet locks (with a little installation modification) or are fast becoming a sought after alternative to office furniture and cabinet/drawer manufacturers, where their customers are requesting combination locks on sales persons desks and cabinets/drawers.

This product uses a fully resettable mechanism to enable the manager to access a lost combination using an overide key and reset tool. This means that if a user relocates or leaves the position, the desk drawer/cabinet can be easily reset and used by the next occupant without the need to have new keys cut to code or locks replaced.
The obvious benefits include cost savings, time and convenience for managers and reduced down time.

The brochure in the source below is in Italian, but shows how the system is easily reset by the manager.

The products are available with operating keys too and can also be master keyed if desired.

Cost effective, unique products aimed at minimizing productivity down times and maximizing efficient management use, that actually save money while providing superior convenience.

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Meroni Wooden Drawer Lock - Simple Installation And Security

Meroni, the famous Italian manufacturer of stylish and purposeful locks and access control products continue their long tradition of classic yet noveau design expertise with products aimed at making the cabinet makers life simpler and more profitable. This product is designed to be installed in typical wooden drawers and whereas it's simplicity of design and it's ease of use/operation is radically different from competitors offerings, it's price point, combined with it's ease of installation and the ultra-competitive pricing, separates it from it's competitors offerings.

The benefit of this offering includes various length locking bars, that can offer cabinet makers and drawer lock installers an edge where competing products fail.

The technical drawings below offer an interpretation of the use and the easy installation.

 The technical relief drawing here, shows measurements of the lock.

The application drawing here shows how the product is installed and used. Rather than having a hole drilled right through a drawer, you simply drill a hole about half way through your material. Drill a hole for the bolt mechanism to line up with the connection to the lock mechanism, screw the bolt to the lock and that's it. Simply drill the strike hole in your furniture/cabinet/drawer frame and the installation is complete. This means no screws are needed to be used at all.

Available keyed separately, keyed alike, master keyed and keyed alike in groups, the product is available in minimum groups of 20 units.

Available in Pickled Brass (US4) or Nickel Plated Brass (US14) and comes with a collar to protect the external hole (and cover a wayward hole).

As the North American distributor for the whole range of Meroni lock and access control products, we can usually provide requested orders within about 4 weeks.

With the currency conversion rates at their cheapest in many years, owning high quality European manufactured products, usually reserved for higher-end products is now within further reach of discerning customers.

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Tapplock - Padlock Of The Future Here Today

Tapplock is a unique padlock product released recently that offers biometric access control as well as bluetooth smartphone access control.

Unique in design, the manufacturer says the internal battery is designed to last 3 years between charges. Tapplock have produced a few different models since the release of their initial product, including a version with replaceable batteries (about 6 month life cycle).

Modern access control solutions are slowly converting to multiple authentication protocols, where a user might use their fingerprint and a combination or key to operate their product. Other types of multi-authentication might include the presence of your smartphone to enable a combination or key to work.

Check out the video above for this intelligent product and purchase options in the source below.

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Impressive Resistance - UFO+...

Here is the full length video of the attempt to destructively bypass the fabulous UFO+.
The unsuccessful attempt, using only common (and not so common) hand tools displays the use of seven (7) different tools and brute force applied to try to bust this beast open.

And it still works perfectly in the end.

Whats on your truck?

Available in the USA exclusively here!

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Meroni Nova Privacy/Bathroom Lock Installed To Communal Restroom in Local Bar

 Last week we were called to a project for a local bar/grill where the communal restroom door was a hodgepodge mess left by a previous installer.
The door in question was fitted upside down and used a D pull plate fitted to the inside with a surface barrel bolt used as the interior lock mechanism.

You can see in the first picture, the exterior door side with the old plates removed, revealed large coach-bolt holes where the old plates were fitted.

The inside D pull had been broken off and exposed bolts looked unsightly. They were using a packing box strap to pull the door open, but inspection by the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), required a properly operating door handle to be installed.

Picture 2 shows another angle of the pre-repaired door. The crack in the door, part way down was the result of a patron kicking the door once to get it open.

We removed the damaged plates which revealed the poor workmanship from the previous installer.

 We decided that the use of 2 Rockwood Push Plates on each side of the door would cover the holes left by the previous products.

You can see that we used 4" x 20" push plates and over lapped the bottom plate and top plate.

The cross bore hole was in the wrong position, because the door was fitted upside down.

The cover plates easily covered most of the damage, effectively improving the aesthetics, expertly. A clean look is a professional look.

Picture 4 here, shows the exterior side with the cover plates installed and the high-quality Meroni Nova N12 Privacy/Bathroom lock installed.

We were required to drill a 40mm (1-3/4") cross bore hole in the cover plates to accept the new lock. These plates are stainless steel and our hole saws were not sharp enough to easily complete the desired holes. As a consequence, we were required to lace-drill the holes in the plates.

Lace-drilling is a term coined by professional metalworkers to explain a method of making a larger hole in an application, when a larger drill bit or hole saw would not work easily. The installer will drill a series of smaller holes in the application and cut the material out to make the hole desired, larger.

Picture 4 above shows the exterior side of the door, while picture 5 here, shows the interior side of the door. The customer requested that we leave the surface barrel bolt fitted to the door.

Because the door frame was a commercial steel frame, the existing strike plate was located in a different position to the existing cross-bore hole in the existing upside-down door.

We were required to accurately allign the new lock with the existing strike plate and drill new cross-bore holes accordingly.

You can see the finished look is very professional. The new lock operates flawlessly.
The door is a high trafficked door with sometimes hundreds of daily uses, hence the decision to use high-quality hardware.

Meroni hardware is uniquely designed with very few moving parts, that reduce the typical wear of many other brands of door knob hardware, making a product that is easy to operate and very long lasting.

Below, find a small video of the completed install and the operation of this simple to use lockset.



Meroni hardware is made in Italy by a company that produce various different designs of aesthetically pleasing, simple to operate lock hardware.

Meroni also is one of the largest furniture/cabinet hardware manufacturers in Europe, with many high-quality cabinet makers and designers across the world choosing their products for their ease of installation, professional look and simple-to-operate designs.

Master Key Systems America LLC are proud to represent this fabulous product line in the North American market. The prices are competitive without being low end, ensuring customer satisfaction.

We also will supply to various customers across the world, with recent customers purchasing from Ecuador, Chile, New Zealand, Australia apart from our Canadian neighbors.

Browsing through this site, will reveal more details and pictures of Meroni hardware products that will provide good looking alternatives to the more mainstream hardware products available.

Our sister site, http://www.locksmiths-st-louis.com/ has some articles and videos and purchase options for your consideration.

We are a professional locksmith and door repair company providing premium quality products and services across the greater St Louis region. We also sell to other states, cities and countries and can provide quality professional contacts for local installations in those places.

Feel free to contact us for expert assistance by qualified and experienced technicians.

Bold - Smart Cylinder Access Control Technology

Bold Security Technologies just recently released their own iteration of a smart lock. But this particular design is somewhat different.

Technologies like this have been around for a few years now, with industry leaders like Salto, already including a similar product in their vast range of high security mechanical and electro-mechanical access control systems.

The Bold is trying to secure crowdfunding thru Kickstarter and it may even come off, although at $129 per cylinder and only aimed at the (relatively small and already competitive) European market, it is a tad dear.

I think the premise has merits and the idea may even have legs, but competing in an already top-heavy market, with many of the established industry players including Assa-Abloy, Salto, Simmons-Voss and others already producing much broader ranges of smart cylinders that operate across more markets than just the Euro cylinder segment.

The market has seen a number of recent entrants, all vie for share, including August, Kevo, Lockitron to name a few.

One of our signature product lines Meroni, are knee-deep in R&D to bring their nouveau, modern style product line of unique door hardware into the "smart" family. Meroni are perfecting their recent auto-magnetic latch mechanism design, that already provides an almost silent and hidden latch mechanism, with a system that can be locked and unlocked by smart-devices (cell phone, proximity device, etc).

We are anticipating a release of late next year on the Meroni.

How To Secure A Double Door Cupboard Using Only One Lock

CompX, a maker of a wide range of cabinet furniture lock products and hardware recently came out with this novel modern approach to securing double casement cabinet doors.

The product is straightforward to install and operates natively without the need to operate an elbow spring or necked bolt, which were the traditional ways for securing cupboards of this type.

I recently installed a few of these for a client who understood the benefits immediately. I also installed a number of Meroni 2630 Screw On cupboard locks keyed alike.

The combination of these products look professional and are extremely simple to use and operate.

The Meroni 2630 Screw On Cupboard lock is available in Nickel Plate Or Black finish with a 20mm (1-5/8") long cylinder that will fit a standard cupboard door.

Able to be keyed alike, keyed to differ or master keyed.

They cost about $17 each and are quick to install.

How To Make Your Van/Truck Virtually Impregnable - Meroni UFO+

We have talked about the fabulous Meroni UFO+ security product a number of times in the recent past and shown installation videos and operations.

The above video is a short version of the extended test display, that demonstrates the prowess of this kind of lock system, especially designed in consultation with commercial truck/van manufacturers over a few years.

The Meroni UFO+ is a unique and stylish lock product that prevents malicious entry to your property, while in your truck/van. The interior release cable, allowing for quick and simple egress/escape from inside, separates this product from many competing brands that simply lock the outer doors.

Having an interior release function prevents an occupant from being locked inside easily.

The product is incredibly secure, using high-security virtually pick proof, virtually bump proof and virtually copy proof keys.

Able to be master-keyed in groups, like for fleet vehicles, the Meroni UFO+ is the most sought after van security product and the strength and reliability is just one factor that FEDEX and TNT and UPS have chosen as their "go-to" security product for their delivery trucks and vans across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

First released to the USA market last summer, the product is hard to keep in stock because of the demand for better van/truck security.

Definitely not a cheap "fix" product, the Meroni UFO+ sells for about $325.00. Installation is straightforward, although we do suggest a professional installer complete the project, to maintain warranty.

Meroni Pigio 1 Installed To High Traffic Doors In An Upmarket Car Dealership

A couple of weeks ago, we completed an installation of some Meroni Pigio 1 Passage Sets to high traffic doors in a car dealership

Before

After Installation - external

  Here is an image of the issue we faced. The existing mortise lock handle hardware kept falling off due to overuse.

After Installation - internal

After Installation - edge

Before Installation - internal

Before Installation - external

After Installation - external

The install was painless and straightforward. We used Don-Jo renovator kits to modify the edge fittings.

We also installed Rockwood Push Plates to cover the existing holes left by the old hardware.

These Push-Pull handles are made from high-quality materials and require very little effort to operate. They look good and are easily used by management and also mechanics in the workshop who can often be a little heavy handed with handles they use. (you can see the make-shift tape they had put into use because of the problem they were facing)

Now, they dont even need to use a dirty hand to operate these handles. they can pull the doors open with their arm easily and push them open from inside, even when their arms are full of parts from the supply shop.

Here is a little video that shows how the product looks and operates...

Meroni Combina - Character Personified

Meroni Combina

Combina is becoming known as the new flagship product for Serrature Meroni with it's modern appeal and wide variety of color choices, materials, even company embossed personalized logos on door knobs.


We posted a video on the front page of the Meroni section here, that was taken at a trade show upon it's introduction.


There are so many and varied color options with this fabulous product, we will try to include as many as possible below. 
With Meroni Combina, you can choose the color and material of the bottom part of the handle, separate from the top cover. Top covers can be embossed with a company logo or personalized design that will differentiate you from other companies and homes and can even add a unique personal touch that your customers, colleagues and guests will appreciate.


The Meroni Combina product line has been developed into 3 distinct styles. Colori, Idee and Stile

Meroni Combina COLORI Bottom Body Matte Chrome Code: US26D Material:Zinc Alloy Color: Satin Chrome Dark Grey Code:DG Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Dark Grey Matte Nickel Code:US15 Material:Zinc Alloy Color: Matte Nickel Top Cover Rubber Blue Code:LB Material: Resin Color:Rubber Blue Rubber Dark Green Code:GG Material:Resin Color:Rubber Dark Green Rubber Orange Code:OR Material:Resin Color:Rubber Orange Rubber Red Code:LR Material:Resin Color:Rubber Red Blue Code:BV Material:Resin Color:Blue Yellow Code:GP Material:Resin Color:Yellow Lobster Red Code:AV Material:Resin Color:Lobster Red Amaranth Metal Code:AM Material:Resin Color:Amaranth Metal Application code: K11 Usage: For passageways Both pushbuttons are always available as free passage. Application code: K12 Usage: For bathrooms Locks with push-button that turns on the occupancy indicator if provided. It can be opened on the outside with an emergency key, screwdriver or other similar tool. Application code: K13 Usage: For entrances and offices It can be locked or unlocked on the outside with the key, on the inside with push-button. Application code: K14 Usage: For entrances and offices Outside knob without pushbutton with security plate. Opens only with key. Inside pushbutton always available as free passage. Application code: K15 Usage: For entrances and offices The key from the outside or from the inside locks or unlocks both pushbuttons. Application code: K17 Usage: For classrooms and offices It can be locked or unlocked on the outside with the key. Inside pushbutton always available as free passage. Application code: K24 Usage: For hotel rooms Outside knob without pushbutton, opens only with key. The push-button turns on the occupancy indicator if provided.

Meroni Combina IDEE Bottom Body Polished Chrome Code:US26 Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Polished Chrome Polished Gold Code:US3 Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Polished Gold Matte Gold Code:4K Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Matte Gold PVD Black Code:TN Material:Zinc Alloy Color: PVD Black Top Cover Polished Chrome Code:US26 Material:Resin Color:Polished Chrome Polished Gold Code:US3 Material:Resin Color:Polished Gold Maple Code:RA Material:Resin Color:Maple Polished Veneer Code:RR Material:Resin Color:Polished Veneer Wenge Code:RW Material:Resin Color:Wenge Acid Green Code:VA Material:Resin Color:Acid Green Pearl Green Code:VP Material:Resin Color:Pearl Green

Meroni Combina STILE Bottom Body Black Code:NE Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Black Dark Grey Code:DG Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Dark Grey Natural Aluminum Code:NA Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Natural Aluminum White Code:BO Material:Zinc Alloy Color:White Top Cover White Code:BO Material:Zinc Alloy Color:White Clear Grey Code:CG Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Clear Grey Dark Grey Code:DG Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Dark Grey Black Code:NE Material:Zinc Alloy Color:Black Light Blue Code:AZ Material:Resin Color:Light Blue Green Code:VV Material:Resin Color:Green

Select Attributes below And Click Add to build your shopping cart

Meroni Premiapri Combina

$18.00

Body Type:  COLORIIDEE (+$7.00)STILE (+$9.00) Function:  PassagePrivacy (Bathroom)Entry Hotel EntryStoreroomDouble CylinderDummy Body Color:  Matte Chrome (+$45.00)Dark Grey (+$45.00)Matte Nickel (+$45.00)Polished Chrome (+$45.00)Polished Gold (+$45.00)Matte Gold (+$45.00)PVD Black (+$55.00)Black (+$50.00)Dark Grey (+$55.00)Natural Aluminum (+$65.00)White (+$65.00) Cover Color:  Rubber Blue (+$6.00)Rubber Dark Green (+$6.00)Rubber Orange (+$9.00)Rubber Red (+$9.00)Blue (+$9.00)Yellow (+$9.00)Lobster Red (+$12.00)Acid Green (+$12.00)Light Blue (+$9.00)Green (+$9.00)Amaranth Metal (+$12.00)Pearl Green (+$12.00) Rose:   Black Nylon Rose (+$4.00)Metal ALIA Rose (+$10.00) Latch Mechanism:  60mm Latch (2 3/8"), Square Edged (+$6.00)60mm Latch (2 3/8")Round Edged (+$8.00)70mm Latch (2 3/8")Square Edged (+$7.00)70mm Latch (2 3/4")Round Edged (+$9.00)80mm Latch (3")Square Edged (+$8.00)80mm Latch (3")Round Edged (+$10.00)127mm Latch (5") Square Edged (+$10.00)127mm Latch (5") Round Edged (+$12.00) Strike Plate:  Square Edged (+$3.00)Round Edged (+$4.00)

Quantity:

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