The Greater East Tamaki Business Association in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, NZ Police and Manukau City Council have developed a comprehensive checklist to assist businesses to make unbiased, well informed, practical decisions when choosing security to suit their own requirements.

This checklist is supported by information on relevant topics to give a better understanding of some of the issues involved in this choice. The first page is designed to ensure an up to date record of all your providers is on hand when required and we recommend you keep this with your OSH folder. 

The risks of being burgled can be reduced by implementing target hardening measures and adoption of security practices. The diversity between varying business operations can require individual security solutions tailored to the nature of a specific business, but there are general security principles applicable to most businesses in the retail, commercial, and industrial sectors.

Burglars are influenced by ease of entry, concealment from observation, ability to obtain property unobstructed by any internal barriers, affording minimum amount of time required on the property to accomplish theft, and a low risk of apprehension.

Along with this there are other points needed to be considered in any workplace security assessment: e.g. walk in thieves, staff theft, data protection and sensitive commercial information, fraud, staff safety, robbery, bomb threat, suspicious mail action plans procedures, access control/barriers to unauthorised access to staff areas and protective barriers at entry point/reception,.

A good approach in assessing any potential vulnerability to your business is to put yourself in the mind of a burglar, and look for any weak spots that would provide easy entry.  The key principles in designing out the opportunities for crime, are DETER, DENY, DELAY and DETECT.  Businesses choosing to adopt measures containing these four elements, will gain an increased level of protection and security.

This checklist may assist in evaluating your premises as to any additional security measures that may be required. It should be noted that the checklist is of a general nature only, in suggesting guidelines for improving security.  A comprehensive audit and identification of security risks with recommended target hardening responses for a business of a specific nature, would require the services of a professional security consultant.

Please remind your staff regularly to keep their vehicles locked, keep an eye out over car parks for suspicious characters.  It is recommended that you encourage your staff to approach all unattended, non staff members with a “can I help you?” attitude to let everyone who enters your site know that they have been noticed.  If people make the excuse they are looking for a job, offer to take down all their details. – have forms readily available at reception. These can then be passed on to the police if suspicions are raised.

This is a pilot project, therefore feedback is welcomed to help us ensure we meet your need for information and support. If you would like to make a comment or suggestion or request more information, then please contact Coralee. coralee@getba.org.nz

Thanks to Sgt Nigel Roe, NZ Police, and Security Consultants: Chris Lawton, C4 Group, & Jack Hayes, Risk Consulting Group for the information given to assist us with this project.

'Protective security' is the systematic management of a combination of personnel, management, procedural, physical, electronic and information security measures designed to provide  employees and companies with protection against security risks.

It also includes the regular maintenance of equipment, training and education of staff, and continual reviewing of security and risks and how these relate to the company's functional requirements.

A comprehensive list, but by no means complete, of security aspects to be considered when reviewing your protective security is...

• Policies & Procedures eg.  
  Policy Laptops must be secured at all times on company premises;
  Procedure ensure all doors/windows are closed/locked, blinds closed at the end of working day

• Security Risk Management & Asset protection
  Identifying the main risks and planning the best way to minimize them
  
  
• Information Security
  back up testing, information kept secure with passwords etc?
   
• Security Manpower Providers
  knowing your manpower provider service is functioning correctly

• Alarm Monitoring
  regular equipment testing
  
  
• Personal & Personnel Including Visitors & Contractors Security
  ensuring you have taken measures to ensure staff safety

• Responses to Threats
  What would  your staff do if a knife or gun was drawn against them?

• Physical Security & Access Control
  fences, gates, reception – ensuring all visitors are greeted and show a visitors label where appropriate

• Emergency Management
  procedure in the event of an emergency
  

Protective security generally achieves security through deterrence, delaying, detecting and denying entry or access.

Deterrence is generally achieved by creating in the offender some sort of fear. This could be fear from detection or capture, injury, failure and is achieved by the obvious presence of detection equipment such as CCTV cameras, signage and robust physical security. 

Delaying an offender is essential.  An opportunist will steal a laptop through an open car window, but if he has to spend time breaking into the car he is likely to be put off or choose another vehicle that has easier access.   Delaying an offender also allows for a higher chance of detection and apprehension.

Detection by means of electronic measures or personnel will often deter an opportunistic offender.  Encourage your staff to greet all unknown visitors with a polite “can I help you?” to show them they have been noticed and not just assume they must be there to do some sort of work, regardless of their attire.

Denying entry or access to goods is a great thing, however given time, any committed offender or group of offenders will be able to get through or over the toughest wall or fence.

Combined security measures
While each of the four measures (Deter, delay, detect, deny) could be effective as a stand alone security prevention element, they could be easily defeated.  However when combined in a managed, organised and systematic manner they will provide the security required by the company.

Security professionals often talk about the concepts of 'in depth security', 'a layered approach to security' as well as the 'rings of security'.

In reality they all refer to the same aspect of security planning which is to ensure that possible security beaches are covered by more than one security measure to enhance the chance of prevention.

It also refers to the need to have security measures linked; for instance the company may provide cable locking devices for laptop computers but if staff are not shown how to use the device or informed of the company policy to use the device then there is no prevention aspect at all.

In effect the higher the security risk the more layers or rings or security measures should be surrounding that item, person or information.

Security Reviews
Audits or reviews of security should be conducted regularly or be an ongoing process. This need not be an onerous task for one individual. In general it is an aspect of security that can be done without the expensive aid of a consultant.

With a minimal amount of training a selected staff member is able to carry out regular security reviews. Information for these reviews can be gained from a variety of sources such as:

• regular updates on security risk from GETBA
• local newspapers
• documented breaches of security on your site
• data from monitoring and security response companies
• Police website

Security review template
A security review document is available from this site.  It should be down loaded and kept in a secure location on your computer or within your office if a hard copy is printed.

The review should be done by a variety of people within the organisation. People look at things differently due to life experience, gender, time on site, hours worked etc

Don’t send this review by email. It is a sensitive document that in the wrong hands could enable a serious breach in your security.

Also see: Choosing a Security Manpower Provider

Printed from the GETBA Website www.getba.org.nz
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