The Scottish Enterprise Technology Park (SETP) in East Kilbride, Glasgow is one high-tech place. From the March print edition of Professional Security, the manned guarding there.
Among the 60-plus firms on site include Siemens, Atmel (who produce the chips for smart cards), the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) and the Scottish Universities Research Centre (whose labs include a commercial radiocarbon dating service). They cover an area of about 13 football pitches (86,000 sq m). The site, which is the former home of the NEL, is owned by Scotland’s main economic development agency Scottish Enterprise. In the summer of 2001, facilities manager Alan Richardson sought to appoint a contract guarding firm. After initially inviting six companies to tender, Richardson asked three to do final presentations. One of these was the company that won the contract in October 2001: St James Security. The Newcastle-based contract guarding firm is headed by former Northumbria Police Supt Peter Durham, who says: "The tender document identified site requirements for security officers and a supervisor. The three companies had to show among other things how their officers would be trained, vetting procedures and details of operating manuals." Alan Richardson says: ‘St James Security impressed with their candour and honesty. They clearly understood the brief, even challenging us on some issues, and were much more interested in explaining how their strategy would support me at an operational level rather than corporate sell.’ The incumbent security firm left the site earlier than expected. Alan Richardson says: "Very quickly, St James was able to draw on its resources to put officers in place earlier than had been anticipated. This again impressed, and ensured that site security was never compromised during the hand-over period.’St James Security is responsible for around-the-clock security at the SETP. This involves manning the gatehouse to provide a visible security presence, vehicle entry and exit control and CCTV surveillance. Officers regularly patrol the site to check car parks, buildings and building alarm systems. Alan Richardson adds that the guarding firm has looked to take on wider duties: ‘In my view, a security service has to be more than just providing guards to patrol a site. I need people who can be flexible and get involved in a number of other activities, which would not necessarily be seen as falling within a security remit. This is where real added value is provided.’ Those extra duties are health and safety ones: checking fire equipment, emergency exit doorways, lighting and ensuring passageways are clear of rubbish. Officers take the temperature of the water on site to comply with water regulations among other duties to comply with European legislation. Daily inspection report forms have been introduced, for security officers to complete for Alan Richardson. These detail routine inspection activities and record if corrective action has been taken. Security has been given responsibility for issuing work permits to external contractors coming on to the site and administration of the asbestos register. Keys to the main entrance of every building on site have been transferred to the gatehouse. Responsibility for issuing keys to contractors and others has become that of the guarding firm (rather than that of Alan Richardson). It means Alan Richardson has more time for other day-to-day matters. He says: ‘This added value approach is definitely the way forward as far as I am concerned. Not all security companies approach contracts in this way but St James Security has truly extended the value of its service and the security is better for it. People have generally been impressed by the professionalism and quality of the security guards now employed on the site and I have received a number of positive comments about it.?
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About St James
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The firm has a head office in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and regional offices in East Kilbride (on SETP) and Watford. The company currently enjoys progressive growth ‘which includes revenue from its sporting event stewarding operation, called Touchline Events ‘ and employs over 1,700 full and part time staff (including Touchline) based throughout the UK. St James clients include Capital Shopping Centres, Northern Rock, Marks & Spencers, WHSmith, the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive and Nexus, which operates the Tyne & Wear Metro, Thomson Travel, The Body Shop and First Sport.
