C H A P T E R E I G H T
Parking
• Establish clear parking criteria - who is allowed to park there and clearly separate staff from visitors.
• Use a windscreen ID badge system. • Effective lighting, particularly ‘hiding’ areas.
• Don’t allow landscaping to provide ‘hiding’ areas.
• For females at night and working late ensure an ‘escort’ system with a male colleague.
• Distance to and visibility of entrances - endeavour to allow good line of sight from the entrance to the vehicles. • Consider pref- erential female parking in closer proximity to the entrance. • Conscious visual scanning for suspicious persons loitering or occupied vehicles. • If suspicious - call security and wait for others. • Ability to run? - items carried, how dressed etc.
• Quick decision making to give up the car.
In Chapter 6 we looked at the ‘vehicle approach’ procedure and when you are leaving work do not let your guard down because you think it is a safe environment- it is unsafe for the very reason that you think it is safe.
You have been told to approach the car with the car keys in your hand and that is good, but if as you approach the vehicle late one evening, you see someone suspicious moving toward you from the direction of the car. You will have to abandon it and seek refuge where? -the office building you have
left, but if you have to get in quickly you won’t be able to, probably because when you left the building you allowed the door to lock behind you and your office keys are in the bottom of your
S E C U R I T Y A T W O R K
As you make the transition from the work environment to go to your vehi- cle, have the car keys to hand - however that’s not the end of the story if you need to abandon the vehicle and seek the safety of the building.
bag. So, a new rule - if you leave a ‘safe’ environment and you are in ‘tran- sition’ then make sure you can get back in to your safe environment quickly.
Do not park near any object e.g. rubbish skip, bottle bin which provides concealment and give your vehicle a full 360 degrees before you close with it and get in.
Company Visitors - this may not be in
your hands, but if you can influence matters ensure all visitors are issued with a temporary badge for the duration of their visit and that they are escorted at all times. Decisions should be made about the following
1. Type of workplace - who is allowed
in and when.
• Customers/clients on property? • Employees only on property? • Public Access?
• Open hours (vs) Closed hours - Access policy.
2. Access Criteria - How are people
granted access?
• For employee only areas? • I.D. badges/keys/card access? • Visitor control/I.D./logs/appoint- ments/other?
• Delivery/ maintenance and service? • Areas of public interface/barriers, observation, communication?
On a physical front consideration should be given to the usual alarms and surveillance equipment and effective lighting. In occupations where by the nature of the work violence
S E C U R I T Y A T W O R K
However, if the door is closed and locked behind you and your office keys are in t he bottom of your bag, you’re in big trouble. When you make a transition from a safe environment to the outside, make sure you can get back in quickly if the risk dictates.
always has a potential e.g. psychiatric nursing there should be a ‘panic alarm’ system on a wireless basis installed.
Common Areas - Special Caution In or Near
Anywhere the general public are allowed more or less free access additional care should be taken and sensible precautions adopted.
1. Public Toilets
• All toilets to which the public could gain access, but to which they are not allowed must have a key pad, coded entry system.
• Be observant - don’t be followed in. • If there is a suspicious person observed inside - leave!
• Quick, immediate scan and make use of the mirrors as you enter.
• Abandoned items - don’t touch, report.
• Don’t leave your items unattended. • Call for help/panic alarms.
2. Stairwells/Elevators
• Stand near elevator controls when inside.
• If attacked in an elevator push the emergency button and as many floors as possible. If you are not close to the control panel you won’t be able to. • When leaving an escalator check the corridors. • If a suspicious person enters - leave/don’t get in. • Stairwell doors often lock so take extra care and avoid there use as a ‘short cut’ - report any observations.
• Do not use stairways when elevators are available.
• If an elevator arrive and the occupants look unsavoury then don’t get in.
3. Public Lobbies
• Should be open and observable/ monitored.
S E C U R I T Y A T W O R K
Use the mirrors to get a quick visual of anyone who may be inside.
S E C U R I T Y A T W O R K
• Barriers for protection/signal capability - a ‘silent alarm’ should be at the reception.
4. General
• Never leave keys, wallet or valuables in coat pockets.
• Never leave, the above on or in an unlocked desk.
• All empty office locations, cabinets, should be locked when not in use. • Secretaries desks should be placed so that they can observe all activity entering and leaving the office area.