Infologue.com has introduced four case studies annually to share best practice in the security industry. The second case study is presented by Securitas.
Customer quote
“Securitas has been able to provide a unique solution based on a complex requirement for our company, which is outside the normal assignment instructions for any normal security company. By working in partnership with us, Securitas has delivered a high level of service, often going above and beyond the contract requirements, to maintain continuity and customer satisfaction.”
Sarah Swainbank, Emergency Planning & Security Advisor, South West Water
The background
South West Water (SWW), part of Pennon Group plc, provides reliable, efficient and high quality drinking water and waste water services throughout Cornwall and Devon and in small areas of Dorset and Somerset. SWW’s extensive programme of environmental improvement has resulted in some of the finest bathing waters in Europe, picturesque scenery and clean rivers with stunning wildlife.
In 2011, Securitas was awarded a five- year contract to provide specialist security solutions to South West Water across its 1,200 plus sites throughout Cornwall and Devon. Emergency Planning & Security Advisor, Sarah Swainbank, was looking for a security company that could provide a robust operational model that would deliver:
• A clear view of entire estate and security audits
• A clear operating plan to support security integrity and engineer call outs
• Comprehensive reporting of integrity/incident management whilst demonstrating a clear statement of benefit for spend
The solution
Securitas provides a range of security solutions including responders, security inspectors, the supply and maintenance of security vehicles and the protection and prevention of possible acts of terrorism, to over 1,200 South West Water sites across Cornwall and Devon.
All the sites are risk-graded and Securitas provides a tailored mobile visit and response solution to manage each estate’s security requirements. The service includes:
• A comprehensive site visit schedule, assignment Instructions and engineer call-out response plans to interface with South West Water’s control room
• A team structure to suit task and response schedules which includes the deployment of a team comprising four x 40-hour inspectors covering weekdays and five x 128-hour responder teams to cover seven days, nights and weekends
• The provision of 600 lone worker protection units to SWW’s front line staff, including those working in the drinking water environment, waste water environment and mobile meter readers
• Deployment of Securitas vehicles
Results
Securitas has successfully delivered operations whereby:
• The team has established the security and safety of 1200 plus high, medium, and low risk sites across the two counties
• Responders carry out a significantly high number of site visits per night (between seven and 10) and provide an escort service to accompany engineers on site, thereby ensuring the integrity of all sites within the SWW portfolio
• The competent team is able to assess and prioritise incident responses (such as hatch alarm, intruder alarms etc.) over site visit schedule ensuring peace of mind for SWW
• The team provides comprehensive management information and daily accurate reporting in a timely manner through a Securitas local branch satisfying the demand for a clear view of benefit for spend
Lone Worker Protection – How it Works
Lone workers carry a Twig protection unit, which is equipped with a panic alert, an automatic ‘man down’ tilt detector, a two-way communication system and GPS tracking.
Richard Adams, SWW Control Room Manager, says the system is much more robust than the one previously in use. He explains: “The previous monitoring system worked only through a mobile phone so there was only one signal option. If the signal was weak, it was often difficult to communicate with, and pinpoint, the officer. The Twig units are fitted with multiple sims so they automatically pick up the strongest signal, which is giving much better coverage. We’ve had really good feedback from employees who feel safer and more satisfied with the new devices.”
Any alarm triggered goes through to Securitas’ Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) in Milton Keynes which is manned by multiple operators at any one time to ensure someone is always available to respond.
Upon receiving an alarm for a lone worker device, an operator will immediately try and establish contact by mobile or landline phone. If contact cannot be established, the operator will locate the nearest Securitas mobile responder vehicle using the GPS trackers located in the vehicles and deploy them to the source of activation. If the vehicles are not in close proximity, the ARC will call the Police and alert them to the activation and the inability to make contact. If required, the SWW control room in Exeter can also be notified.
Securitas’ Alarm Receiving Centre has been awarded the NSI Gold certificate for the monitoring of lone worker devices in conjunction with the British Standards BS8484:2011. “The service is fairly new but we are learning and maturing together.” said Richard. ” The good thing is that we all have a desire to improve things and develop the technology in the future. Phase 2 will see more employees given units including office staff in remote locations and laboratory workers. We are also looking at additional technologies including extra signal boost and fall/non-activity alarms.”