There are a lot of reasons why businesses rely on fingerprint access control for door entry, clocking in, restricted access and other vital security protocols, with the three biggest being ease of use, accuracy and affordability.
From a practical perspective, every person has a unique fingerprint, it is relatively easy to set up and even easier to use every day, and thanks to advances in technology, fingerprint scanners are smaller, more feature-filled and cheaper to buy than ever before.
However, there are some unusual factors that can limit their usability or at least should make businesses mindful of the need for a failsafe.
Here are some of the most (and last) common environmental elements that can affect the accuracy or usability of a fingerprint scanner, particularly for outdoor access control.
A Small Frog
As reported by Yahoo News, one employer in Daegu, South Korea, found a rather unusual and somewhat adorable obstacle on his path to work in late September 2025.
When attempting to clock in using a conventional fingerprint scanner, his attempts were thwarted by the presence of a very small frog that affected the scanner just enough to stop it from activating.
Whilst naturally rather infuriating for the employee, as there’s little chance anyone will believe that a frog stopped him from clocking in, it does at least demonstrate the fail-secure credentials of the fingerprint scanner, rather than having such thick tolerances that an entire tiny being would not affect it.
Weather Conditions
Weather conditions can affect your fingerprints, as many people can attest if they spend too long soaking in a bath, but the reverse is also true on cold, dry winter days.
Outdoor fingerprint scanners can sometimes struggle in cold weather, partly due to the nature of the scanner but mostly because of the nature of fingerprints.
When skin gets dry, it starts to crack and peel, which can lead to issues with biometric recognition as the scanner will treat it as a different pattern.
As well as this, colder weather leads to reduced blood flow, which can affect capacitive fingerprint scanners work. This is also the reason why it can be difficult to use a touchscreen device in colder weather.
There are scanners which have sealed constructions that can minimise this issue, and it can help to design your building and its security around potential weather conditions, including having an entrance porch where the scanner is housed rather than leaving it outside.
Finally, rain can sometimes get onto the sensor surface and affect its accuracy.
Dust
Conversely, dust, either picked up from sandstorms or having developed due to other environmental conditions, can physically block biometric scanners, which can affect their ability to scan fingerprints efficiently and lead to false negatives.
Much like with rain and cold, the best way to mitigate this is to design the scanner with a cover and protective coating that can make it easier to wipe away and remove stubborn dust, as well as ensure that a regular maintenance routine is undertaken to ensure that they continue to work accurately.
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