Page 51 - the SyI Quarterly 14 Booklet Format

Chartered Security Professionals

Security system fault reporting a period of employment, to minimise the potential leakage of
An up-to-date log is to be kept and maintained for recording all faults found in the system. information. Employees during their term of employment are
exposed to confidential information about the organisation.
Bomb threat This could be legitimately received in the course of his/her
All bomb threats that are received must be taken seriously, and the planned procedures and instructions are duties or overheard conversation or commercial gossip.
to be implemented immediately. The organisation’s security personnel, fire wardens and reception staff are
to have defined responsibilities and to be fully trained in actions to be taken in the event of a bomb threat Typical techniques used by competitors may include in-depth
emergency. interviewing of new appointees about previous employment.
It then becomes necessary for employers to be proactive and
Security officers’ instructions warn staff of their duties and contractual obligations.
There are to be a set of specific detailed instructions covering the whole spectrum of the security system in
operation. Part of the interview and job briefing for new employees, in
addition to a section in the contract of employment, should be
Dissemination devoted to Security and Health & Safety. This is to ensure that
Dissemination is the transmission of information internally; this information may have been obtained from employees are aware that the organisation takes this matter
internal or external sources. However, communication is described by Carroll and Gillen (1987: 38-51), as “the seriously, and that any potential damage or disruption to the
exchange of messages between people for the purpose of achieving common meanings”. business as the result of breaches of rules and procedures
could prove to be a costly exercise. Of course, not forgetting
Communications their personal risk of receiving criminal convictions and heavy
Communications and exchange of security information with regard to incidents or potential risks between fines.
businesses in the same vicinity, like retail business or industrial park, has proved effective in the fight against
crime. It has been suggested that it is a good security management strategy for business/industrial estates Training
because it significantly increases risk communication and develops a safety culture amongst members. Personnel training to raise the awareness level of basic security
issues is important for any security policy to be considered a
Communication of risk is crucial to the subsequent interpretation of that risk by the recipients of the success. Even more important is awareness and compliance
communication. Feedback is critical to effective communication. Risk communication should involve a dynamic with health and safety rules and regulations, as organisations
exchange of information between parties, which has the potential to resolve conflict. Communication and pay heavy penalties for breaches of such laws today.
raising awareness of security issues and safety is to be exercised as an ongoing process of learning.
Many managers and staff are totally unaware or genuinely
Human Resources believe that the risks to their organisation are minimal,
therefore, not worthy of management time. The existence
Recruitment & Vetting of a security policy and its contents must be made common
It has been suggested that, generally, the tendency is to recruit staff on the basis of their skills to perform a knowledge amongst employees. This document could be made
particular job; little attention is paid to their personal attributes, e.g., commitment, loyalty and trustworthiness. part of the induction process.
These aspects of staff selection only come to the fore when the corporate damage has been done, as the result
of recruiting staff about whom very little is actually known. The level of understanding of the criminal mind coupled with
perception of risk is argued to be a major factor in determining
It then becomes necessary to draw up a vetting procedure to confirm job applicants’ background details, the level of prevention measures employed. The key issues in
credibility and references. It may also be necessary to carry out checks with police and other official records for this process are defining responsibilities of the management,
posts. Educational establishments should also be contacted to check claims of academic achievements or their supervisory and specialist staff, determining how these
equivalent. responsibilities are to be delegated, coordinating the execution
of responsibilities and maintaining high morale.
The application of psychometric assessment can be invaluable in identifying individuals who may be well-
qualified in the technical requirements for the job, but may be lacking in various personality aspects, for Business continuity planning and disaster recovery must go
example, temperament, attitude, emotional stability and reliability. This assessment can minimise many beyond the usual fire, flood, breakdown and acts of God.
problems associated with the recruitment of the wrong people later on. However, the exposure to risk created Breaches of security and loss of critical information are as
by existing employees will require even more sensitive selection techniques. much major disasters as fire or flood and consequent loss of
stock.
Contracts of Employment
Employees’ contracts need to address the protection of confidential and sensitive information during and after The traditional crime prevention approach employs the
mind of the burglar and opportunist felon, whereas the
information age the criminal is much more sophisticated and,
50 consequently, harder to predict and control. 51