FOCUS SECURITY
MULTI SKILLED SECURITY
While combining front of house/cleaning duties
with a security specific role may in theory be
a practical way of helping to combat COVID,
Mundell of Axis Security doesn’t believe a
more e ective security team can be achieved
by “taking on responsibilities that ultimately
detract from the provision of security.”
He does agree though that security o icers
are in an ideal position to add a greater level
of security when they work with front of
house or reception teams and they can also
support cleaning operatives. He says: “This is
why on some contracts our o icers will carry
disinfecting wipes with them when they go
on patrol to wipe down touchpoints.
This new addition to their duties
does not replace the cleaning
regimes, instead it adds an
additional layer that crucially
allows touchpoints to be
cleaned more frequently
and also provides a
visible reassurance that
environments are being kept
safer.
“What we do also see, from
our work with Acuity (our front
of house business) and also with
our sister business Axis Cleaning
and Support Services, is that there can
be benefits to combining the management
of these di erent teams - allowing for one site
manager who oversees multiple functions. It
brings a level of simplicity for our customers and
greater harmony and collaboration between the
onsite teams.”
Bullock of Corps Security says that the role
of security and front-of-house have merged in
recent years and the front-of-house customer
service role has complemented the role of the
security o icer, so, in this respect, it is a positive,
multi-skilled collaboration.
But he cautions: “Combining cleaning
with security is completely di erent and not
something that would be e ective. These roles
demand entirely di erent skills and would see
critical skills that are essential as part of each
role being diluted.
34 NOVEMBER 2020
“Security o icers will not
have the desired hygiene
expertise that a cleaner
does and a cleaner
couldn’t manage secure
practices and possible
conflicts in a way that a
security o icer could. If these
roles were merged, we’d see
neither role being carried out to its
full potential and this could be severely
detrimental, with significant implications.”
VALUED PROFESSION
In June of this year the BSIA was involved in
an awareness campaign designed to reset
public perception of the security profession
as a valued profession. Since COVID hit,
security o icers have become more visible
to the wider public, first through their work
in retail and now increasingly in workplaces,
and says Read of Amulet: “I believe this has
led to an increased awareness and perhaps a
gradual change in perception, but still not to
the level that o icers deserve.”
Mike Bullock points out that a campaign
to raise awareness and change the public
perception of security is great for the mid to
long term but it is not looking at the welfare
of security o icers during the COVID-19
pandemic. Corps Security produced a report
with Perpetuity in May which examined ONS
data that revealed that security o icers had
one of the highest COVID-19 death rates of
any occupation at 45.7 deaths per 100,000
male o icers (sadly this is now 74 deaths per
100,000).
“It would be far more beneficial,” he says
“to look at what they could do now to help
ensure o icers are protected. O icers are at
risk now, so the immediacy is now. Defining
security o icers as ‘critical workers’ during
the pandemic needs to be reflected in
remuneration. The pay for security o icers
has remained extremely low in some sectors,
especially considering the level of expertise
that is delivered. Across the industry some
o icers are paid less than the hourly rate
for working in McDonalds. This is absolutely
outrageous when you consider the skill
and risks involved. Paying security o icers
at least the Living Wage has got to be the
priority and something the BSIA I’m sure will
be championing.”
Davies adds there are some prime
examples of the versatility of security
o icers. “NHS testing centres, working with
local authorities in support of the police
and enforcement o icers in crowded places
monitoring and advising people about social
distancing, and managing COVID-19 access
controls for retail outlets, all significantly
raising the profile, capabilities and
professionalism of the security industry.”
Mundell agrees that this recognition
largely remains amongst key stakeholders
who are able to see the sacrifice that
security o icers, like all other key workers,
continue to make. He reports that a “new
collaboration between customer and
supplier emerged with our clients asking for
our advice; wanting to learn from measures
we have implemented; and having a greater
willingness to share best practice and ideas
from other buildings or property managers
with similar concerns.”
But while the perception of the security
profession should and deserves to change,
he wonders whether this positive impact be
long lasting?
“Only time will tell. Unfortunately, the
continual search for ‘value for money’
and subsequent erosion on margins has
become the mainstay of security services
procurement. I fear it will take more than an
awareness campaign or a pandemic for the
perception of the security profession to align
with the very important and professional
service it provides.”
In June of this year the BSIA was
involved in an awareness campaign
designed to reset public perception of the
security profession as a valued profession.
Since COVID hit, security offi cers have
become more visible to the wider public,
fi rst through their work in retail
and now increasingly in
workplaces.”