Cambridgeshire’s Imperial War Museum at Duxford was the venue for another Reliance complimentary conference for invited security managers. The seminar was chaired by Chris Burnell, Reliance Security’s Area Director.
Director of Security Risk Management at Reliance, Peter Speight presented on the reasons why security can fail and what should be taken into account when managing your security function. Speight firstly highlighted six reasons for losses:
• Failure to recognise vulnerabilities
• Failure by senior management to disseminate security culture
• Failure to use the right counter measures
• Failure to implement effective polices & procedures
• Failure to consider change
• Failure to understand operational requirements
Peter then went on to describe how to develop a security model and security strategy. “When mitigating risks, look at the culture and politics of the company then go to the highest point of the management chain to get policy sign off then create your business plan.”
Peter has previously found that many companies have certain apathy towards security and they are more reactive than pro-active. A well known pharmaceutical company saved £600,000 by carrying out a comprehensive, top to toe risk assessment. Peter Speight highlighted the importance of creating scenarios and crisis & contingency exercises and how to get best value from risk management by looking at what potential internal and external threats could have an affect on your organisation, ranging from sabotage, theft to product extortion to industrial action.
Video analytics
UK Marketing Leader for Honeywell, Daniel Wan then presented on the benefits of video analytics. Several studies of CCTV operations have noted that operatives can miss several incidents on CCTV after just 12 minutes of monitoring several cameras. The benefits of video analytics include:
•Converting mass video data into more useable information
•Detect, track and alert only key incidents
•Changes video from a reactive to a proactive tool
However, it is important to run trials on sites to ensure it is suitable, which can be carried out by the appropriate provider. Perimeter protection is one of video analytics’ core strengths as analytics can use existing cameras and false alarms are significantly reduced compared to motion detection and other beams. Mr Wan stated that an estimated 4.5 million CCTV cameras are operating in the UK. The cost of analysing all UK surveillance footage is estimated at £1.25 billion. Video analytics can automate the process of examining footage and can save up to 90 per cent of the cost.
Lone working
Christine Camilleri from security technology company Reliance High-Tech informed delegates of the benefits of choosing a Lone Worker protection system which complies with the new BS8484 British Standard, recently established as an industry quality measure with a specific focus on lone worker devices and lone worker alarm monitoring infrastructure. Reliance provides not only the alarm devices themselves, but also an integrated lone worker monitoring service, which together with support from police is already improving the safety of many company employees. Police response times have proven to be rapid in all instances where users have raised an alert that required escalation to the emergency services. On one occasion, a member of the NHS called for assistance via a mobile phone and was informed that the wait time for police support was 20 minutes. On hearing this, the NHS employee activated the alarm; the police response time was within a few minutes.
Mrs Camilleri discussed the specific benefits that a lone working device could bring to employers and went on to state that the devices were simple to use, discreet and had the ability to capture better evidence of an incident.
Risk communication
Ken Livingstone, Director at Perpetuity Training gave an insight into how security managers and others calculate risks, how some risks are visible to some and invisible to others.
Mr Livingstone said “All actions have consequences. Each time we embark upon a course of action we are balancing risks based upon our understanding and view of the world. We are calculating both desirable and undesirable outcomes.”
Ken explained “You should never assume that the risk you see is obvious to others; don’t believe that simply by explaining the risk you will convince your audience it is real”. Ken highlighted that need for risk communication should be targeted to the values of stakeholders.
For more information:
The next two Reliance events will run at:
9th November Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge, Surrey
25th November The Lowry, Salford Quays, Manchester
For further details of all Reliance events contact:
Stuart Wilson, Events Manager
Reliance Security Services Ltd.
Boundary House, Cricketfield Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1QG
01895 205039, [email protected]
