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OverviewWhen organizations think about security, they often focus on technology such as cameras and card access systems, and on dedicated personnel in the form of security guards. While these provisions are often useful components of a security program, effective protection of assets actually begins with clear and well thought out policies, procedures, and emergency action plans. These foundation documents set forth and communicate the organization's posture on managing security risks, expectations for its employee responsibilities and behavior, and the concrete steps to be followed to make sure that the intent of the organization is actually carried out in both everyday operations and critical emergency events. Gaps and deficiencies in these areas often cause even well funded security programs to fail to prevent significant losses. When funding is tight, these documents and the organization's emphasis on compliance may form the primary bulwark standing between an organization's assets and risks. Emergency Action Plans
Our experience in reviewing these plans often finds provisions that are either illegal, contrary to well established safety guidelines, or pose major risks to personnel and assets. These defiencies pose potential serious liabilities to their organizations. Another common issue is that, like in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina, serviceable plans exist - on a storage room shelf. However, the people who must carry them out haven't been trained to do so, don't have ready access to the documents, and are unable to respond to successfully prevent casualties and unacceptable losses during an actual event. Security Policies and ProceduresSecurity related policies and procedures may appear in multiple departments in a given organization. For example, the pre hire background screening and drug testing procedures help assure that people with troubled pasts are not brought into the organization may appear under the Human Resources department, but they are also a critical part of of the organization's efforts to manage security risks. Many others, such as those related to access control, require the active alertness and cooperation of all employees in order to be effective. Unless this responsibility is clearly communicated and reinforced, some employees will inadvertently circumvent security measures by doing things like holding card access secured doors open for anyone behind them. Others will deliberately defeat perimeter security by blocking emergency exit doors open so they can have convenient access to the outside to smoke. If these situations are not effectively addressed, an organization's security is seriously compromised and at great risk. Typical Policy and Procedure SetThe following is a typical minimum list of policies and procedures that are rexamined and revised or developed as necessary to meet the needs of the organization: Emergency Action Plan
Security Policies and Procedures
Contact UsContact us today to arrange for a professional evaluation of your security related policies and procedures and recommendations for creating the robust set needed to protect your organization's people, property, and assets.
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Even though emergency action plans are required under law, many organizations assign the task of formulating them to employees who don't have the knowledge or experience required. They then fail to examine, test, and modify them on a regular basis to meet changing conditions so no one knows if they will work or not. In fact, a sizable percentage won't work as intended. This is usually only discovered when they are actually needed, and they fail in often spectacular fashion.