| v> | | | | Sports Facilities Entertainment Centers Suburban |
| | | | Strip & Shopping Malls Hospitals and |
| 1. The Security Consultant’s | | | | Treatment Centers High Rise Building Complexes |
| Perspective
| | | | Unprotected Establishments |
| With Workplace Violence becoming an emerging | | | | 3. Ask the Tough Questions. Has Our Company |
| concern, the employee dimension becomes a | | | | Done a Critical Assessment of Our Business |
| critical factor in conducting Vulnerability Threat | | | | Practices
? |
| Assessments against capabilities and weaknesses, | | | | Are the functional needs of security and safety |
| similar to the way we conduct a business SWOT | | | | decided by a team; or are they relegated the |
| (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and | | | | responsibility of a Security Director, Human |
| Threats). I wonder how much thought a | | | | Resource Manager, Safety Manager or even |
| disgruntled employee, angry customer, an armed | | | | Facility Manager? How much thought goes into |
| robber or a specific act of terrorism, has given to | | | | arriving at a business matrix that factors the |
| the real business threat of a violent act. Within | | | | security needs against the type of business? Are |
| each business or type of employment, there | | | | security budgets based on the offerings of |
| exists an intriguing combination of potential threats | | | | technology devoid of the unique aspects of |
| to the safety and security of the workplace. If | | | | personnel security as part of the security posture |
| you recall in recent incidents over the past month | | | | or is there justification for one or the other or |
| on the topic of workplace violence, that while | | | | both? I pose these additional questions for your |
| critical structures are key targets, no type of | | | | consideration. |
| business was immune. | | | | - Are the Security Plans, Policies and Programs |
| The ideologues and the imbedded terrorists have | | | | adequate? |
| now become objects of concern for those of us | | | | - Are Threat and Crisis Plans incorporated in |
| engaged in conducting threat assessments; | | | | trainingprograms? |
| evaluating risks and recommending risk abatement | | | | - Do I have an Emergency Evacuation Plan and do |
| measures. Key to these concerns is the free | | | | employeesknow their roles? |
| access of these employees, their familiarity with | | | | - Are the Homeland Security Protective |
| the operations and their knowledge of the | | | | Measuresintegrated in the Security Plans? |
| company secrets. To combat this threat and to | | | | - Do I have knowledge or familiarity with the |
| reduce the risk, it would behoove decision makers | | | | police andhospital response plans? |
| to become creative in their approach to these | | | | - Is the company prepared to handle a Bomb |
| potential threats. Just implementing technological | | | | Threat? |
| resources may be insufficient. Taking proactive | | | | - Are my mailroom and mail handling procedures |
| measures during the hiring and screening process | | | | adequate? |
| might identity a potential threat, implementing | | | | - Does the Personnel Security Plan address the |
| security guidelines might serve to deter or | | | | myriadof concerns including travel and VIP |
| minimize the threat and educating employees will | | | | Security? |
| increase security awareness. Key to this creative | | | | - Is Counter-terrorism factored into my |
| approach however, is the collaboration of | | | | Workplace Violence |
| resources in a synchronized team fashion. The | | | | Prevention Plan? |
| Threat Assessment Team is my recommended | | | | - Whose responsibility is it to coordinate Security |
| creative strategy to minimize the threat while | | | | Awareness Training? |
| managing the possibilities. | | | | - How do I organize a Threat Assessment Team? |
| 2. Workplace Security Concerns: People, Premises | | | | - Am I relying on the police and the response |
| and Property
| | | | timeor do I have a plan? |
| In preventing Workplace Violence in | | | | - Is Workplace Violence a threat to your business |
| today’s volatile workplace nothing can be | | | | in theevent of business disruption and continuity? |
| taken for granted. While it is the | | | | 4. Security the Business Matrix
|
| employer’s responsibility to protect the | | | | Merely appointing a security chief and purchasing |
| workforce, a predisposed individual is a | | | | security technology without the essential critical |
| company’s worst nightmare. The acts of a | | | | assessment or evaluation of your business |
| disgruntled employee can be predictive, while the | | | | situation is not employing the best security |
| threat of a robber’s motives cannot | | | | strategy. Collaborating of resources and |
| anymore than the motivations of the professional | | | | synchronizing the plans are positive steps to take |
| ideologue with external grievances that might | | | | in developing a business matrix that drives the |
| target a business to emphasize an opposing | | | | security strategy. No longer can the decision |
| position. Verifiably evident is the catastrophic | | | | maker delegate the security function as a |
| capability of the politically motivated threat whose | | | | separate and apart responsibility without having |
| methodical planning may take years. With access | | | | any input into the strategy, philosophy and |
| and familiarity critical factors in measuring risks, | | | | objective of the security plans. The assumption |
| decision makes are encouraged to reconcile the | | | | we make about the investment against intangible |
| security impact to business disruption and business | | | | benefits of a proactive or preventive security |
| recovery in the aftermath in terms of proactive | | | | policy having no immediate impact on the Return |
| and preventive measures during the Threat | | | | on the Investment (ROI) must die a quick death. |
| Assessment Phase. Every business is a target of | | | | A critical assessment of your business practices |
| opportunity and value regardless of type: | | | | will clearly provide an appreciable and measurable |
| Production Plants Power & Light Utilities Dam | | | | business matrix to motivate application of this |
| & Water Purifications Sewer Treatment | | | | philosophy in the Threat Assessment Phase. |
| Telephone and Heating Food & Beverages | | | | |