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Crime and its effects are a problem in healthcare as the Press often remind us. The situation is made difficult because of the nature of the environment. Where most organisations can restrict public access, the very nature of the healthcare environment encourages it. The opportunity for theft and vandalism is clear. To add to this the public, whether patients or visitors, are often under stress when visiting and this can lead to individuals acting in an unreasonable manner.
Security is therefore an important issue, protecting staff, visitors and property alike. The first task is to identify the problems and assess the risks. Some issues can be resolved internally, such as staff awareness, guidance on necessary actions and appropriate training. Other issues require specific security solutions such as security guards, CCTV and access control systems. Some of these tasks may be dealt with in-house; however it may be beneficial or necessary to involve external contractors.
Manned security may be taken on in-house and can work well if properly managed by experienced security staff, recruiting suitably qualified and trained security personal. However, it may be more effective in terms of cost and efficiency, to contract external manned security specialists. However, for the likes of electronic security solutions, external suppliers are the only route available.
Contracting suppliers in any area presents potential pitfalls. Not only must the service meet your requirements but should offer value for money. In the budget-pressured healthcare environment this is important. The cheapest supplier may seem the most attractive. However, you must ask yourself whether the level of service and results will meet your expectations and will it really save you money as the cheapest option may not be the most effective solution.
To provide you with the highest quality and value service, it is necessary to identify companies that meet certain Standards and can prove it. How do you know whether their staff are security vetted? Are they properly trained and experienced to carry out the job in hand? Are they installing equipment in line with the requirements of the Standards and is it of suitable quality? Are the company financially stable? How good is their customer service if there is a problem? Is it resolved swiftly and amicably, or do they say to you “what do you expect at such a price”?
You should also consider the requirements of the police. The police will only respond (other than 999 calls) to personal attack alarms, monitored intruder alarms and CCTV systems that are both installed and maintained to the appropriate Standards by companies who can prove this by being approved by an appropriate approvals body.
So how do you identify these suppliers? Look for those approved by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI). NSI is an independent, not-for-profit approvals body providing inspection and certification services for the security and fire industries. For over 30 years NSI has been protecting the customer by insisting on the highest standards and operating the toughest inspection regime. Companies are inspected regularly, by highly qualified, full-time inspectors, to prove their ongoing delivery of the highest standards. NSI’s Customer Care service reinforces the reliability and integrity of the companies it inspects. All NSI schemes exceed the appropriate requirements of the police and insurers.
Accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), which operates on behalf of the DTI, NSI operates its NACOSS Gold and Systems Silver schemes for companies involved in the installation of electronic security systems, which includes intruder alarms, CCTV and access control systems. Contracted manned security providers are approved through NSI’s Guarding Gold and Silver schemes. With over 1100 companies operating out of 1500 plus locations, there are plenty of NSI approved companies to choose from.
Keeping Up With the Issues
One of the problems faced by those with security responsibilities is keeping up with the issues and technology. Regulations change to take into account an ever changing environment and product innovations improve the effectiveness of security systems. Then there are the requirements of government policy, the police and insurers to consider. NSI works closely with all these influencers and sits on relevant committees involved in making these decisions. NSI will promote the position of the customer and will ensure that all approved companies are immediately aware of and prepared to deal with any changes.
As a result of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) was created and is introducing licensing for individual contracted security officers from March 2006. Without a license, individuals will be operating illegally. The SIA has also launched its own Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) for security companies. NSI will be in a position to conduct verification visits on its behalf. However, NSI approval schemes, operate to British Standards which is a higher set of requirements than those set alone through the ACS.
Changes to the Standards relevant to the installation and operation of CCTV have also happened in recent times. These have focused on the installation of CCTV cameras, ensuring that they are properly sited as well and provide quality images. Detector activated CCTV systems must meet specific requirements in order to achieve a prioritised non-999 call response to an activation and the monitoring of CCTV must be done to strict standards, particularly if images are to be used as evidence in court.
The installation of intruder alarms has been affected by the introduction of new European Standards. If you want your new or up-graded system to be recognised by the police and insurers, systems must comply with Standards and you need to be sure your chosen installer is capable of doing this. You can be assured that all NSI approved companies meet the requirements.
So if you want the best security contractors, choose only those approved by NSI.
For further information or for details of local NSI approved companies, call 0845 006 3003 or visit www.nsi.org.uk .
Julian Stanton is Marketing Manager for NSI National Security Inspectorate. The organisation's websites can be found at www.nsi.org.uk for security and www.nsi-fire.org.uk for fire protection. |
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