Security: Hit or Miss?

Employee Awareness

Some of the most useful and cost effective security measures are not the typical physical measures, but are procedural. For example, the most powerful, least expensive and most often neglected security measure is security awareness by all employees. Attentive employees would have stopped, questioned or at least reported me when I improperly accessed that plant. Your people should understand and appreciate that security doesn’t begin and end with the guards and other security measures, but is their responsibility, too. Many firms have a high level of safety awareness, and that can often be leveraged to build a higher level of security awareness. Other often neglected procedural measures include policies and plans, hotlines or other alternate and confidential/ anonymous reporting systems, incident reporting and trending processes, background screening, employee/visitor/contractor identification, mail and package controls, workplace violence/sabotage prevention and response systems, collaboration and liaison with neighbors and local police, etc. A related issue is that, while many firms have controls on their employees, there are typically many others in the facility who you don’t know and who have few or no loyalties to your organization. These persons include contractors such as contract cleaners, security guards, HVAC repair people, and temporary help staff as well as non-company truck drivers. Many firms, especially since 9/11, have been imposing tighter controls on these people such as requiring auditable background screening, close supervision, restricted access and worn identification. While most food and beverage facilities have fairly comprehensive emergency planning and response programs, those programs typically deal with emergencies and disasters that are of an accidental nature, such as natural disasters, explosions and releases, fires, injuries, etc. Your emergency plans should also address incidents that are purposefully caused including terrorist attack, activist attention, arson, contamination, bomb threats, sabotage, workplace violence, strikes and labor disruptions. Security liabilities are evolving. While such liabilities formerly involved facilities that dealt directly with the public such as retail stores, malls, hospitals, hotels and parking structures, in recent years industrial facilities such as food and beverage producers and transporters have found themselves involved in security litigation, usually involving issues of workplace violence prevention and response or harm caused by contamination or sabotage. The courts, in such cases, look for what is reasonable, prudent and practical; considering each site’s function, history, location, vulnerabilities and risks; and considering the standards for sites of comparable composition. Don’t forget your overseas operations when planning your security. Facilities, especially those that are locally known as American-owned, may be more vulnerable and attractive as targets than domestic facilities. Security can and should be a vital part of any firm’s management and planning. It should not be an afterthought, nor should it be thought of as a non-productive “necessary evil.” A properly developed and managed security program, just like a strong safety or environmental protection program, should be a point of pride and a true contributor to the organization’s success and profitability. -FQ

Dick Sem is a security consultant with 35 years of security management experience. He served as director of security for Waste Management, vice president of Pinkerton/Securitas, and was president of the International Security Management Association (ISMA). He is board certified as a Certified Protection Professional and is president of Sem Security Management (www.semsecurity.com), a security consulting practice located between Chicago and Milwaukee. Reach him at 262-862-6786 or [email protected].