How safe is your workplace?
Incidents of crime and violence fill the headlines. Hardly a day passes without another report of mayhem somewhere in the world. Strangely, though, these stories, no matter how shocking, seldom raise more than an eyebrow. Is this because we view them as being remote and unconnected to our personal environment?
Are our businesses adequately prepared?
Do we need to be more proactive in planning for such eventualities in our own work space? No matter how remote the prospect of overt violence may seem, the savvy businessman should still take adequate steps to cover his bases. With the ready availability of sophisticated CCTV systems, many companies have installed them in an effort to deter crime. While we may have come to regard these as a sufficient and adequate deterrent, the statistics seem to prove otherwise. Proper preparation requires expert advice and training, something that only qualified professionals can provide.
Benefits of hiring a private security service
In countries like South Africa security companies have become an absolutely essential part of everyday daily business life. The role of the private security services there, though, is largely one of providing protection in the form of rapid armed response to outside threats.
In reality, though the benefits of hiring a private security service are much more comprehensive and beneficial, as we shall see.
The main issues that workplace security needs to address.
One of the main weaknesses in most businesses is the lack of adequate security awareness and training. Management and staff can only reduce the risk factor in the office or store, if they are fully aware of the weak areas, and are trained to meet all eventualities.
The obvious and not so obvious dangers
Does your business require staff to work alone on occasion in isolated areas, such as a storage basement? Will they have to lock up the premises and leave alone after dark? Is the entrance to your business off the public thoroughfare and accessed through sometimes deserted hallways? Are you employing casual or temporary staff who may be of unstable character or background?
These are the obvious areas that most people are at least aware of, but there is much more to security than this.
Many subtle and largely ignored factors also impact greatly on the way undesirable persons may attempt to target your business.
The benefits of hiring a private security company lie in their ability to pinpoint all of these problem areas and provided tested and practical solutions to eradicate and solve them.
Staff training and awareness
The security professionals are uniquely equipped to train and coach your staff to respond appropriately to any emergency situation. This training is designed to develop a feel for any potential and real threats that could arise in the workplace.
Remaining alert enables personnel to react swiftly in the event of a violent attack. The damage done by a rogue shooter opening fire can be greatly minimized if staff are trained to take the proper defensive action. This requires proper training. The correct response can save lives and stabilize the situation, but without proper training the likelihood of overcoming an attacker becomes much more remote.
It is also important that upper management lead by example, actively involving themselves in the training sessions. This is much more likely to promote active and meaningful participation by staff members.
The way they work
Without doubt, a visible deterrent is the first line of protection. The lone criminal looking for an easy picking will pass your store and move on to the next if there is a security guard at the door. The same goes for a well-placed CCTV camera, but the experienced felon may not be so easily deterred.
An employee standing guard at the shop entrance, can easily be lured away from his position if he senses the need to check a potential threat. Criminals work with accomplices and are able to create diversions that can trick staff into making false moves.
Risk assessment is one of the main benefits of hiring a security service company.
At the end of the day much of workplace violence prevention is based on identifying the sources of risk. The trained security professional has all the tools and knowhow to do this.
Remember, also that it’s not just the safety of your staff that you need to keep in mind, your customers and clients are also potentially at risk.
Rather them than you
Let’s assume you have a working alarm system in place at your store. It’s 2 a.m. and you are alerted to the fact that your workplace alarm has been triggered. Are you going to drive down and enter a darkened and deserted building on your own? It might have been a false alarm set off by a rodent gnawing on a cable, or there may well be armed intruders in the premises. You have your handgun, but do you really want a face-off with hardened and experienced criminals? Your safety is an absolute priority and you owe it to your family not to endanger yourself.
The benefits of hiring a private security company effectively transfer these risks away from you. Their highly trained and experienced operatives will move quickly and efficiently to neutralize any threats that may have arisen, while you remain in the secure safety of your home.
The bottom line
Among the many services a private security company can provide, are:
- Risk/Vulnerability Assessment
- Physical Site Security Consulting
- Protective Services
- Personal Security Training
- Crisis Anticipation and Management
- Employee & Senior Management Training
- Securing Your Premises Both Outside and In
- Robust Access Control
- Creating Workable Emergency Plans
- Identifying Insider Threats
- Constant Due Diligence
With the prevalence of violence and crime in the workplace, the value provided by a private security firm is clearly a necessity and not a luxury. You owe it to all those around you to make safety in the workplace a number one priority.
Request a free consultation and see for yourself what it could do for your peace of mind.
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