Securitas Security Service holds the contract for the guarding and cash handling of Eurostar
Securitas Security Services (SSS), part of Securitas, holds the contract for the guarding and cash handling of Eurostar in the UK – namely the Eurostar terminal at Waterloo and the International Terminal Ashford in Kent and other sites in London. Securitas’ overriding aim is to protect the integrity of the Channel Tunnel, which involves preventing anything, or anyone, that could harm the operation of the Tunnel and its trains from gaining access. Some 164 staff, including 116 at Waterloo, are involved in duties including passenger and baggage screening and access control. Under the terms of the Channel Tunnel (Security) Order 1994, Securitas staff are permitted to search luggage and passengers, which calls for ‘people skills’. Officers are also called on to give international passengers information and assistance. Note the number of languages spoken by security staff at Waterloo: French, Spanish, German, Italian, Turkish and Greek to name a few. Steve Brady, the Eurostar contracts manager at Securitas, says: ‘Securitas started the Eurostar contract in October 1999, following a competitive tendering process. What we offered was a total solution that included both SSS and cash handling services to collect money from ticket offices, across the Eurostar sites. But perhaps more importantly we brought new ideas, and a commitment to professional standards in our workforce that includes comprehensive specialist training, good pay and career development opportunities.’ Stephen Oakes, Head of Security at Eurostar adds: ‘When we started the tendering process that led to the appointment of Securitas we took the opportunity of consolidating 11 separate security contracts into one service provider which has provided a number of advantages, principally that we now only have to deal with one point of contact, but also that there is a greater consistency in the training of the security staff at different locations. Since Securitas took on the contract they have provided a first class service, which I think has a lot to do with the way they manage and incentivise their staff. All of the Securitas management team are pro-active and hands on, and officers are given a wide variety of tasks to do to encourage a high level of alertness.’ In fact, officers could be given a wide range of tasks every shift, including patrolling the perimeter, monitoring X-ray machines, controlling access and managing queues, or carrying out checks on passengers and luggage. Training is specific to the Eurostar contract. Any new personnel receive eight days training stating with two days off site followed by two days on site and four days learning to use equipment such as the X-ray machines, including a CD-ROM training system called Safe Passage and a system called TIP (threat image projection) which simulates the screening of batches of baggage containing suspicious items. The varied daily routines, training, and the chance to work at different sites on the same contract to gain promotion have contributed to the low staff turnover on the Eurostar contract. At 11 per cent per year, turnover is well below industry standards and brings benefits for Eurostar, Securitas and the staff. Steve Brady says: ‘Having a stable workforce means that there are always plenty of experienced staff on hand, who both know the day to day procedures and are able to deal with emergencies. Our approach has proved very successful and we have since extended the contract to cover addition work such as managing traffic in the passenger drop-off area outside the Waterloo Terminal and guarding carparking at Ashford. Hopefully we will continue to work closely with Eurostar in the future and develop the business even further.’
