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Security managers cannot get to grips with the subject unless they appreciate where non-security staff – the people mostly being trained – are coming from, we hear.
Nick Tolson, a former police officer, has been a personal safety instructor for many years, specialising in clergy safety. He has worked with the Home Office and security businesses to develop personal safety strategies. He is the author of The Pocket Book of Personal Safety. For details ring him on 01749 679653 or e-mail
nicktolson@nationalchurchwatch.com
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Recently I attended a conference where the audience of 60 clergy had just been taught self-defence techniques by a Twa Kwon Do Instructor. The event had caused much consternation among the clergy. In fact it had become a media circus with much humour attached to the fact that clergy had been filmed trying out these techniques on each other. The basic message was lost that, in fact, 12 per cent of clergy are physically assaulted each year and receive no training to combat this.
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Needs-specific
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As a personal safety instructor I have found that it is absolutely vital to ensure that the training I provide is specific to the needs of the people who attend the seminar. It may seem an obvious thing to do but I have found that those who deal with security day in and day out can forget that the rest of the world isn’t really interested in security issues. When the instruction comes down from on high that they will attend a personal safety seminar they either are filled with dread that they will have to take part in some sort of karate lesson, or they look upon it as an opportunity to skive off work for a day, and with a bit of luck the session will finish early and they can get home! How many of those of us in the security industry get excited about a seminar on pensions or telephone technique’ Well, the people who come to our personal safety seminars may well do! They are turned off completely by security issues.
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It is, however, essential that security managers encourage their companies to run personal safety seminars. In an ideal world, every employee should attend such a seminar once a year. The reason may not always be obvious but the security manager should use the following arguments:<br>
a) showing that a company cares for the personal safety of employees means that the workers are happier and thus more productive;<br>
b) one violent incident at work can have significant knock-on effects to the whole business;<br>
c) if fear of crime increases and the employees think that nothing is being done about it, sickness levels will increase, productivity will go down and staff turnover will increase;<br>
d) it is part of the ‘duty of care’ that the company has under health and safety legislation to ensure a safe working environment for employees.
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Assuming you have persuaded the company to hold a seminar you then have to decide whether you should run it yourself or ask a professional personal safety trainer to come in. I have mixed views on this. On the one hand, you will have an intimate knowledge of your company. No doubt you have assessed the risk to the employees (I hope!) and have responded to incidents. Employees will probably know what is the best way for them to remain safe; it’s usually the case that there is no easy way to express their views. Holding a personal safety seminar is a good way of letting them point out to you, as a member of the security team, what needs to be done. The problem with this is that you may be perceived as part of the problem. Many people will blame security for the fact that they are at risk, and, of course, you are part of the establishment. If people do think this, you will not get them to talk, no matter what!
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The good thing about getting in a professional personal safety instructor is that they are not part of the company; therefore workers may be more open. The instructor will usually be experienced at presenting, and will probably get a lot of important information from the staff. The down-side is that they will be expensive. (Most personal safety trainers will charge œ400-plus for a day) and, with the best will in the world, most of the trainers that I have seen are boring and have very little passion for the job. (I know this is a bit of a general statement, but it is true!) Some trainers will hide behind personal safety ‘speak’ and make the majority of the sessions tedious. If you can find the right personal safety trainer, it is probably the right line to follow. Another advantage is that they do all the work and preparation of a course and you (and the company) reap all the benefits if they are really good. Choosing which employees to attend a seminar is critical. If you have a large enough company, try and get those who carry out a similar role to come together. For example, get office staff who use the phone a lot together, maybe drivers or receptionists (and don’t forget the ones who cover for the receptionists at lunch times!).
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One of the most important people who are forgotten about when holding personal safety sessions are the security officers! Often, due to their shifts, they are not considered important, or the company assumes they are all experienced in personal safety anyway! Try and ensure that they attend these sessions. In fact, I’d go so far as to insist that they attend as part of their ongoing training. Security officers, even if they have completed relevant SITO training, are often lacking in looking after their own personal safety. Most have come from the armed services or other security backgrounds and are absolutely confident in their abilities to deal with any incident. The times that I have seen security officers who are great at dealing with someone who is punchy and drunk, be incredibly useless at dealing with someone who is merely extremely angry or not likely to become violent. This inability to deal with these far more common incidents can lead to the security officer becoming disillusioned or frustrated. I sometimes wonder whether this is a factor in the high turnover of security staff.
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Personal safety is essential in all areas of business. Security managers must make time to consider how best to deal with these issues. Relating the training to the employees is essential. Above all, the training should be interesting, engaging and should have time set aside where you can listen to the views of the staff. Remember, you may think that you know how your business operates and where the risks are, but the reality is that there are probably many issues that you just don’t see. Workers that feel that they are working in a safe environment for a company that cares for their personal safety both in and out of work will be the most productive and will ensure that a company goes from strength to strength. That, of course, will safeguard your job!
