ADVICE & OPINION
COMPLIANCE
In association with STAYING SECURE
When the security of an organisation is compromised, the outcome can be signifi cant:
loss of, and damage to, property, plant and equipment, business interruption, loss of
data and harm to personnel or others. Having good security measures in place can
help to protect the company’s business, its people, its assets and reputation www.barbour-ehs.com
WHAT ARE THE KEY RISK AREAS ASSOCIATED
WITH SECURITY?
Arson
Malicious property damage
Vandalism
Property loss
Terrorism
Bomb threats
Civil unrest
Data and intellectual property the
HOW SHOULD THE RISKS BE MANAGED?
Conduct a security review of the site before
making any decisions about security
Controlling site access
Manned guarding
Best way is o en a mixture of physical,
information and personnel security measures
Guarding against arson
Guarding against terrorism
Assess the risk to neighbours e.g. a target for civil
unrest and guard against those risks
Have in place suitable emergency procedures or a
business continuity plan
Ensure that security arrangements for sta who
travel in the course of their business have been
considered
COVID-19
Security risks will evolve during a pandemic. Plans that
are put in place must be flexible, since the situation
o en changes quickly, and will be led by government
response. Security policies and procedures should
be reviewed throughout to ensure that they are fit for
purpose.
SECURITY AND HOMEWORKING
The pandemic may weaken security processes and
protocols can lead to opportunistic behaviour to
breach physical security barriers and gain access to
assets or information:
Workers should be encouraged to think about
security issues in order to prevent breaches
Communicate clearly any changes to security
policies and procedures
12 OCTOBER 2020
Remind workers of the continued security threat
during this period
Complete a personnel security risk assessment
to identify new risks from changes in working
practices.
COVID-19 RISK ASSESSMENT
Good risk assessment is critical to establishing what
threats an organisation might face and therefore what
security mitigations are appropriate to put in place.
In the context of COVID-19 and to help you make your
work and workplace safe, a risk assessment must:
Identify what work activity or situations might
cause transmission of the virus
Consider who could be at risk
Address how likely it is that someone could be
exposed.
You must act to remove the activity or situation, or if
this isn’t possible, control the risk.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT
For security personnel, social distancing in the
workplace may involve:
Using marker tape on the floor
Using signage to explain guidance
Implementing one-way systems
Reviewing entry and exit routes to minimise
contact with other people
Limiting the number of people allowed on site at
any one time
Limiting visitor times to a specific time window
Providing more parking areas or controlling
parking spaces
Minimising contact at security o ices for drivers/
deliveries
Using physical screens and splash barriers
Revising visitor arrangements to ensure hygiene.
PERSONNEL
Figures regarding COVID-19 deaths by occupation,
published by the O ice for National Statistics (ONS),
have suggested a high death rate in the security
sector.
Measures to protect security personnel who are
working in empty buildings or supporting a skeleton
sta may include:
Supplying PPE to sites where required, including
masks, gloves, goggles,
Antibacterial gel, and wipes for equipment use
Providing COVID-19 (online) training for security
o icers covering social distancing requirements
and how to enforce it
Enhanced cleaning, handwashing and hygiene
procedures
Redesigning workspaces to ensure social
distancing and avoiding sharing workstations
Where people cannot be two metres apart,
consider whether an activity needs to continue for
the business to operate, keeping the activity time
involved as short as possible
Use ‘fixed teams or partnering’ and adjust shi
patterns to accommodate this.
During this time, communication with employees is
crucial.
PREMISES DURING CLOSURE/PARTIAL CLOSURE
Buildings may be forced to close or operate on a
limited basis due to COVID-19. In these situations, it
will be essential to maintain existing provisions of
physical security and monitoring. Issues to consider
will include:
Security patrols
Regular site inspections
Access control
Review of key holders
Continued/daily onsite presence may be
necessary in some cases.
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