Ways to Be More Secure in Troubled Times

03/05/07

The police chief of a northeastern university mused aloud at a recent conference on organizational security. “What if terrorists take out transportation hubs in Boston or New York? How am I going to feed 18,000 people? What if local terrorists go after the ‘nasties’ we have in campus labs—radioactive isotopes or germs? In the event of a catastrophe, how will we communicate when phone and emergency lines are jammed with panicked callers?”

You may not have to worry about 18,000 people, but having plans in place to protect your people and keep your business running in the event of terrorism is more important than ever.

And a war with Iraq is also a cause for concern—even though it would occur halfway around the world. Says David Johnson, head of Crisis Management at Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations, “We advise the senior management of all companies, and specifically those managers responsible for security, human resources, operations, and crisis management, to urgently review how their company would be affectedand how they would respond if a war were to occur.”

First: Assess Risk
The purpose of a risk assessment is to figure out where your organization is vulnerable. An assessment helps you devise plans to ward off threats. When assessing risks, consider the following:

Utilities/infrastructure.
If electricity or natural gas is knocked out, how will you keep essential systems operating? Many manufacturers now have more than just a backup, on-site generator for power outages. They have a backup for the backup. Other items to consider include heating systems, telephone, water, and lighting.

Information technology.
“Terrorism isn’t just about bombs and anthrax,” said the security chief for a food manufacturer, speaking at the conference mentioned above. “That’s why we’ve upgraded our computer systems substantially.”

You’d be amazed at how vulnerable you are when it comes to information technology. A recent study of small businesses commissioned by VanDyke Software showed that 78 percent had been hit by a virus in the fourth quarter of 2002. Half said their systems had been penetrated to some degree by outsiders, and 20 percent experienced outright sabotage. Forewarned is forearmed.

Assess Procedures
Vulnerabilities also lie in how you go about business. For example, the food manufacturer realized that anthrax in its packaging area would cripple the company. It now receives its mail down the road from the plant, where trained personnel screen each piece. Other procedures to assess:

• Tracking people. Do people wander in and out of your facilities freely? Maybe it’s time to think about instituting a tracking system whereby employees, customers, vendors, and other visitors wear badges on premises. Another option for those needing the utmost in security: Card systems. They are now smart enough to track the whereabouts and movement of each person.


• Receiving. How do you know the pallet sitting on the loading dock is something you actually ordered and not a Trojan horse? Many companies of all sizes are now shifting to systems in which shipments must relate to a verifiable purchase order. Some companies even keep rosters of known truck drivers; a red flag goes up if someone new shows up without advance warning.


• Emergency plans. The food manufacturer has emergency plans for any number of disasters, including fires, bomb threats, and floods. “We made up cards that list the first four or five things you need to do when faced with a disaster,” said the security director. “A secretary who just received a bomb threat will be in a panic. The card tells her exactly what to do.”


• Travel. Pinkerton Consulting recommends that companies know exactly where their employees are at all times through detailed itineraries.
  
• Overseas employees. Pinkerton further believes companies with operations anywhere in the Middle East need detailed crisis-management plans, as well as clear plans for evacuating employees from volatile areas.


• Hiring. In the words of one security chief, “We give everyone a second look these days.” For his company, that means background checks and extreme diligence in checking references.

It takes effort to put together plans to minimize the effect war or terrorist acts might have on your business. But it’s a lot less work than trying to pick up the pieces if an avoidable disaster strikes home. Be prepared.

G.Neil has a wide range of resources to help you prepare or prevent trouble from occuring in your workplace. Visit the links below to find out more about how you can protect your workplace more thoroughly.

Applicant Risk Profiler – This pre-employment test is excellent for all applicants, especially those who will be handling company merchandise or money. It measures integrity, illegal drug-use attitudes, aggressive tendencies and more.

Disaster Preparedness Awareness Program – It contains the tools you need to keep your employees informed about your company’s emergency action plan. It equips them with specific techniques to help them handle a crisis safely.

Suspicious Mail Pak – It provides timely information for training your employees on the safe handling of mail in accordance with OSHA’s recommendations.