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Security Features - September
2007
Bell
Security wins Imperial War Museum’s multi-site security
& fire systems contract
Industry
needs to take a fresh look at site security
New
Generation Witness from ESP
Residential
Fire System alternative to Smoke Alarms!
Keeping
stock of assets
Fire
protection standards: taking responsibility for self regulation
Code
green
N.
Lanarkshire Council’s award winning installation
Paxton
provides Bigham’s with á la carte security solution
Secom
solution for Teesside’s ‘Digital City’ initiative
Creating
a culture of learning
NQA
urges Scottish security industry to adopt Approved Contractor
Scheme alongside SIA license application
Leeds
consultancy secured for ‘designing out crime’
 The
Imperial War Museum (IWM) has awarded Bell Security the contract
to provide 'next generation', networked, integrated security and
fire systems across its estate. The scope includes the main site
in London, Duxford Aviation Museum, Churchill Museum & Cabinet
War Rooms, HMS Belfast and IWM North in Manchester. The project
embraces CCTV, access control, intruder and fire alarms, voice
alarm and emergency lighting systems, along with provision of
a new fibre optic communications backbone, a centralised control
and management front-end and incorporation of a number of legacy
systems.
Bell won the business in a competitive tendering process involving
11 other bidders. In addition to satisfying the cost criteria,
IWM Project Engineer Brian Colyer highlights Bell's integrated
systems and networking experience, along with its remote systems
management facility, Bell MIT, as key reasons for the museum's
choice.
Bell Security Chief Operating Officer, Syd Heals, said: "The
IWM is a prestigious addition to our client portfolio. I am delighted
we have been selected by this national institution to take its
security and fire systems forward with new technologies."
The contract was officially signed at the Museum's main London
site in Lambeth, which is the subject of Phase 1 of the project.
This is expected to be completed by year-end. Pictured at Lambeth
are (L to R): Syd Heals (Bell COO), Neil Eves (Bell Major Projects
- Fire), Brian Colyer (IWM Project Engineer), Steve Steeds (Bell
Major Projects - Security).
Visit: www.bellsecurity.co.uk
For further information: Bell Security Ltd, Tim Harris, tim.harris@bellsecurity.co.uk,
Tel: 020 8553 5932
 The
growing incidence of theft from industrial sites, and the mounting
body of evidence to suggest that they are now being targeted by
organised criminal gangs, is fast changing management’s
perception of what constitutes effective site security. So says
Dave Collier, Site Security Manager for SembCorp Protection, the
Teesside-based provider of emergency response and site security
services. Long gone, he argues, are the days when all that was
required to discourage the opportunist thief was the occasional
visit by a passing guard.
It is a conclusion that businesses ought to take seriously because,
in addition to heading-up SembCorp Protection’s security
consultancy, audit and outsourced activities, Dave Collier is
responsible for security at Wilton International, one of Europe’s
largest chemical plant concentrations. The site has around a 5,000-strong
workforce, is spread over 800 hectares, and has a ten-kilometre
perimeter.
He points out that the high price, and hence the high black-market
value, of many raw materials – copper is a good example
at over £3,000 a tonne – has kindled the persistent
career criminals’ interest. Yet, he believes, many businesses
are still attempting to thwart the efforts of the professional
thief with an outdated mind-set, limited resources and inadequate
technology. “While many organisations readily acknowledge
that accidents are preventable, few seem to subscribe to the contention
that the same applies to breaches of site security,” he
says.
Of course, Dave Collier concedes, the money invested in securing
a company’s assets has to be proportionate to the value
of those assets. But frequently, the value is not merely the cost
of replacement; value may well have to be measured in lost production
and lost business. It is, says Dave, a matter of consequences
rather than cost. So, in many instances, the aim should be to
deter the criminal rather than to react to criminal attack.
Frequently, it is apparent that thieves have gathered intelligence
prior to committing the crime, and have carefully planned their
assault. Yet the most basic precautions, like encouraging staff
to report anything out of the ordinary or challenging strangers,
are often not taken.
According to Dave Collier, the fundamental steps that need to
be taken are almost disarmingly straightforward. Security needs
to be ever-present and high-profile, perimeter fencing –
possibly alarmed – needs to be intact, and site lighting
has to be effective. Access control needs to be robust, assets
must be properly recorded and securely stored, security technology
such as CCTV has to be properly installed and maintained, and
liaison with the local police and neighbouring businesses needs
to be ongoing.
There is, he contends, no “one size fits all” solution.
Specific security threats have to be taken into account. For example,
is the site likely to be subjected to non-financially-inspired
attack by protest groups or even terrorists, or does the site
present a seasonal challenge?
According to Dave Collier, these questions can be answered satisfactorily
only by undertaking a thorough, independent audit of all of the
site’s security measures and protocols. Why independent?
Because, Dave Collier claims, asking the person responsible for
devising and implementing site security to assess their own methods
and defences is unlikely to expose any flaws. He sums up his feelings:
“What they have missed before may well be missed again.
It is not necessarily a matter of competence, it is the inevitable
consequence of familiarity.”
 The
next generation of ESP Witness CCTV fully embraces the latest
digital technology by combining a TFT screen with a Digital Video
Recorder to provide a high specification viewing and recording
solution in a single stylish space saving unit.
Witness is available in three versions (4, 9 and 16 channel) all
with triplex capability allowing full screen recording of every
channel, historical viewing and remote access via a network at
the same time.
Easy to configure and use, ESP Witness incorporates a number of
advanced features such as built-in motion detection with specific
area selection which eliminates the need for additional external
motion sensors. Motion sensing can be used to automatically trigger
record sessions, if continuous recording has not been requested,
and send an e-mail alert if the system has been connected to a
live network. Motion triggered events also offer pre- and post-event
recording to gain maximum evidence.
Due to the compact design of ESP Witness, to assist installation,
cameras are wired via a single connector with the appropriate
number of extension tails (4, 9 or 16). The system can accept
input from virtually any camera offering a composite video signal,
including of course ESP’s own new range.
All of the ESP Witness models will have a pre-installed high quality
250gb hard drive however this can be upgraded to a pair of 500Gb
drives in 2 bays. Back up of recording from these drives can be
achieved via USB or across a network.
The ESP Witness 4, 9 and 16 does not offer quite the same simple
plug and play offering of it’s predecessors however as an
introduction to the new technologies available it would be the
perfect choice for a highly capable yet compact CCTV installation.
 The
Designer Range from Detectomat is available as battery powered
Self-contained Smoke Alarms with a Radio inter-link or wireless
option for retrofit applications and as Conventional or Addressable
Smoke Detectors for new build and major refurbishment projects.
The Conventional detectors can be used with standard conventional
Fire Alarm Panels offering a viable Fire System alternative to
mains powered smoke alarms.
A range of different designs and colours - glass, satin silver,
matt black or white are available to complement the latest contemporary
or more traditional interior designs. Make a contemporary design
statement with the Glass detector in its satin silver recessed
mount or blend into more traditional designs this range provides
the choice!
All of Detectomat's products and systems comply with the relevant
BSEN standards for fire equipment. In respect of Residential New
Build the minimum requirement as per Building Regulations - is
240vAC inter-linked self-contained smoke alarms or a suitable
BS5839 part 1 or part 6 solution. Part 6 specifies a range of
options for residential applications from category F (9v battery)
to A (a BS5839 part 1 system). And as such small Fire Alarm systems
such as the Detectomat Designer Range of Conventional detectors
combined with Residential Conventional Panels like the Noby 220
are acceptable for Residential applications.
Further information detectomat@leighandersonassociates.com
or call 01579 321750
 How
do you locate and track distributed assets within an extended
service area? Kent County Council’s Commercial Services
Operations Manager for Technical Services, Cliff Collins, believes
he has found the answer with Unisto’s bar-coded plastic
seals.
Kent County Council has successfully implemented an asset management
programme for portable electrical appliances within council offices
and other premises including schools, leisure facilities, parish
councils, churches and public sector-managed care facilities.
‘Portable’ covers a diversity of items from kettles
to fridges and computers – basically anything that has a
13 amp power supply, covering upwards of 90,000 items annually.
The local authority’s objectives were three fold:-
First and foremost, was the simplification of a time-consuming
annual inspection process aimed at ensuring equipment is in good
working order with no potential problems that might present a
safety issue.
Second was the collection of comprehensive and accurate data to
support PAT testing requirements.
Equally important was keeping track of valuable items that could
be go ‘walkabout’ over time, with ‘portable’
by its very definition implying movement, whether through theft,
relocation or reassignment.
Collins is enthusiastic about the shift to Unisto’s bar-coded
seals:
“Instead of crawling around under desks and other awkward
spaces using one hand to type into a PDA, our inspection team
are able to scan the barcode on the seal with an electronic reader,
gathering all the relevant data in a single operation. Electronic
data gathering has eliminated error due to manual inputting and
significantly reduced the time it takes to cover an entire site.
With the information available electronically, we are able to
aggregate and view data centrally on the condition of appliances
and the status of maintenance and testing programmes at a global
level. We can also supply individual locations with a detailed
breakdown to assist with their own auditing processes.”
Utility supply points and equipment could equally benefit from
bar-coding as a means of locating and monitoring assets over a
widespread network, whilst ensuring vital quality and health &
safety compliance checks have been carried out.
For more information on Unisto plastic seals call 01483 209100
or email seals@unisto.co.uk
 Recent
changes in fire protection standards have major implications for
facilities management professionals and others with responsibilities
for contracting fire protection products and services, due to
the need to take responsibility for self-regulation.
Fire protection has recently undergone regulatory change with
the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order and the Fire Scotland
Act 2005 both focussing on improving fire safety standards in
commercial premises and multi-tenancy domestic dwellings. As a
result, the quality of the design, installation, commissioning
and maintenance of fire protection systems has become a major
consideration of the risk assessment required for all premises.
Owners are now required to prove that new and upgraded systems
are ‘fit for purpose’ and risk prosecution in the
event of system failure.
Furthermore, the new Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) policy
for dealing with false alarms from remotely monitored systems
calls for owners to obtain a Unique Reference Number (URN), entitling
them to receive a Fire Brigade response to automated systems.
URNs will only be issued for systems certified by specific third-party
certification (TPC) bodies such as the National Security Inspectorate
(NSI). This policy is now being phased in and ultimately all systems
requiring response through remote monitoring will need to have
been designed, installed, commissioned and maintained by suppliers
with TPC.
Research from Norwich Union Risk Services (NURS) has made the
disturbing revelation that awareness among businesses of the new
fire safety legislation has hardly risen since the regulations
were introduced on 1 October last year. Just 62 per cent of organisations
questioned by NURS were aware of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety)
Order. A similar survey carried out before the regulations came
into effect in 2006 revealed that 57 per cent of firms were aware
of the regulations at that time.
Whatever work is required, customers should always use only those
companies approved through officially recognised TPC bodies.
 A
question being quietly whispered in darkened corners of the facilities
industry is whether or not security should be affected by “the
green issue”. Quite frankly the answer is simple –
yes security should be affected and we risk our integrity by standing
aloof. We must move with the times and maintain the trust of our
clients, they want greener suppliers with a firm CSR strategy
and we must embrace that fact.
We must not view CSR and green issues as a plague set upon us
by a vengeful government. Instead we should look at the wider
implications. The reasons for greater environmental awareness
are equally clear for the socially conscious and commercially
minded. From the sales point of view, many clients require CSR
credentials at the start of the tender process, those without,
need not apply! And there are the savings to be considered - more
efficiency leads to lower expenditure.
Once we have accepted the fact that we need to be green, getting
there becomes a lot simpler. In fact it is a matter of "reduce,
reuse and recycle". Without even touching the operational
elements of our business we can start to make a difference by
ensuring we recycle everything.
But why put something beyond use that others may benefit from:
computers can be passed to schools and the developing world; and
worn out uniforms can find a home amongst the charity donation
schemes. All of a sudden we are shifting up a gear from recycling
to reuse. The next step however is where a real difference occurs,
reduction. By using less we impact less on natural resources.
If you do nothing else I implore you to use both sides of every
piece of paper!
So once you have done your best, reduced, reused and recycled
to the maximum, where do you go to be totally carbon neutral -
the answer is carbon offsetting. Whilst it is better not to produce
carbon in the first place, that is not practical in commercial
environments. Specialists in carbon offsetting will audit your
emissions and help you find ways to negate them
But is it secure I hear you ask? In reality the changes suggested
have very little impact on the actual integrity of security systems,
they are almost universally focused on the admin elements. Yes
there are a few that will affect operational elements but a top
down strategy with board level sign off will ensure nothing is
left to chance.
 North
Lanarkshire Council is the fourth largest local authority in Scotland,
serving a population of approximately 330,000 and has one of the
lowest crime rates in the country. However it became apparent
that the council had outgrown the capacity of the current system,
which was situated in several remote locations, therefore a strategic
plan was devised to further enhance the monitoring of the CCTV
system.
It was decided that in order to serve the public more efficiently
and effectively the monitoring should be centralised in a dedicated
self-contained control centre. Not only would this help fight
crime in the area it would also make North Lanarkshire a friendly
place in which to live, work and visit.
Councillor Tom Maginnis, Convener of Economic Regeneration Committee
explained: “The centralised monitoring station will enable
the Council's Community Safety strategies to be supported. The
provision of centralised CCTV services will ensure a safer and
secure environment in areas such as schools, community centres,
town centres and housing estates. By centralising our CCTV monitoring
activities, we will be able to provide a 24hour-365 days a year
service in the support of Safer Communities within North Lanarkshire.”
Intech furniture tendered for the opportunity to help on this
project. Peter Booth with over 25 years experience produced a
unique individual concept design, with a turnkey package for the
project.
After reviewing all tenders North Lanarkshire council were delighted
with Intech’s design and proposal that they placed an order
to transform an existing industrial unit into a multi disciplined
command and control centre. This is one of the largest control
room upgrade in recent years and this scheme has recently been
awarded installation of the year at IFSEC 2007.
On this project Peter Booth worked closely with Scotshield Fire
and Security, Wallace Whittle and of course the client North Lanarkshire
Council. Together they were able to produce a full working control
centre which incorporates innovate technology with the use of
rear projection, making it more flexible and easier to use.
Peter Booth, MD of Intech says “I have been delighted to
work on this project for many reasons. From the very start we
were given an open brief which allowed us to have a free-reign
in the design of every aspect of the control centre. From the
client’s perspective the overall look and style of the facility
was of top priority and our unique design solution produced a
result rarely achieved in this environment.”
“Despite the size and complex nature of the scheme I felt
that we had the ability as we had recently worked on a similarly
major project in the Middle East.”
 Paxton's
Net2 system has supplied award-winning food producer Bigham’s
with a flexible solution that controls access and records timekeeping
for more than 200 staff working in kitchen, office and storage
areas throughout two buildings in Park Royal, London.
The easily-managed security system ensures that only authorised
people can gain access to each area. It takes just moments to
issue a new staff member with a card tailored to their role or
– equally importantly – to cancel the card if someone
leaves.
Installer Photech (UK) Limited has fitted 16 doors with Paxton's
Net2 access control system and has also installed five sets of
readers which are used by staff to clock in and out at the ends
of their shifts.
Photech is based in Chinnor in Oxfordshire and also has an office
in Park Royal, close to Bigham’s. The privately-owned company
was founded in 1998 and operates both manned guarding and electronic
security divisions. It was already providing Bigham’s with
guarding services prior to installation of the new system. Impetus
for fitting Net2 came from the opening of a second factory approximately
1.5km from the original.
Bigham's has been growing at more than 35% a year and its success
was recently marked with the title of ‘outstanding small
business of the year’ in the prestigious IGD awards. The
company combines fresh ingredients into meal kits which can be
cooked in no more than 10 minutes using nothing more complicated
than a frying pan or wok. Charlie Bigham founded the company in
1996 after being inspired by his travels abroad. There are seven
ranges suited to different types of occasions and tastes, including
everyday kitchen classics and dishes from all over the world.
Operations to produce the newly-expanded range of recipes are
now split between the two buildings. New menus are prepared in
test kitchens and there are also office areas for administration
staff, a canteen, storerooms and the main production facilities.
The new access control system encompasses the original site as
well as the new building.
"The Paxton system did everything that Bigham’s wanted
it to do. In particular, it had to be capable of monitoring time
and attendance,” says Photech md Kevin Moores. Getting this
right was a priority as the clocking in system is used to control
and log the time worked by more than 200 people. The access control
system records the times when they swipe in and out, this is tied
in with the wages system.
"It is proving very effective - it used to be a very time
consuming task to gather the data at the end of every month,"
says Bigham’s founder Charlie Bigham. "We have been
very happy with how the system works."
Photech had used Paxton equipment before. “We found it to
be very simple to install and program as well as being very simple
for users to operate," says Kevin Moores. This ease of operation
was essential, as frequent changes are needed, in particular to
accommodate changes in temporary staffing. Photech has a put together
a demonstration case containing the Paxton control equipment and
the swipe units. “We set up a demonstration so that Bigham’s
could try it out for a week – they found it to be very good,”
he adds. “It was plugged into a computer, and staff members
at Bigham’s were able to try it out and confirm that it
was producing the reports that they wanted.”
For more information telephone 0845 838 1716 or visit www.paxton.co.uk,
www.photech-uk.com,
www.bighams.com
 Two
flagship digital technology buildings on the Middlesbrough campus
of the University of Teesside are protected by CCTV, alarm and
access control systems installed by leading electronic security
solutions provider, Secom plc. The solutions were selected as
part of the £3.75 million mechanical and electrical services
contract for the two new buildings which are part of the university’s
DigitalCity initiative.
The Secom solutions provide high technology security for the £10
million Athena Building and the £12 million Phoenix Building,
giving the university’s security staff the tools to ensure
the buildings are protected to the same high standard as other
facilities on the campus. Secom’s installation includes
digital CCTV cameras to cover the buildings’ exteriors and
key internal areas, intruder alarm systems, and access control
systems. The buildings are linked to the university’s central
security office by fibre optic cables and an intercom system.
Both buildings are on Woodlands Road, a short distance from the
Middlesbrough town centre.
Secom installed the solutions for M&E contractor SES, a leading
building services provider which has been involved in DigitalCity
since the initial stages of the project. Secom Regional Manager
Phil Lamb says: “We welcome this opportunity to support
the university with solutions that protect its property and its
investment in technologically advanced facilities – while
also providing a safe environment for staff and students.”
Both new buildings were built to open for the 2007-8 academic
year. The Athena Building houses the Centre for Creative Technologies.
It provides purpose built undergraduate studios for students in
design, computing and media in one of the country’s leading
teaching environments for digital design, multimedia journalism,
computer graphics and animation. The Phoenix Building, home of
the Institute of Digital Innovation, develops the university’s
successes in animation, computer games design, digital film and
sound, visualisation, and virtual reality. It provides a centre
for fostering commercial opportunities, developing intellectual
property and promoting digital technology and digital media companies
in the Tees Valley.
Secom plc installs innovative tailored security solutions for
commercial, public sector and domestic customers throughout the
UK. Its ongoing quality service includes 24-hour monitoring of
intruder and fire alarms, and video surveillance systems. Secom
plc is the UK arm of a major global electronic security group,
established in the 1960s. The group operates in 12 countries and
its 38,000 employees serve more than a million customers.
 As
a Skills and Standards Setting Body, Skills for Security spends
a great deal of time operating at a strategic level to raise skills
levels in the sector by developing, for example, all of the National
Occupational Standards and conducting key research projects. We
know, therefore, that the business of skills development is diverse,
dynamic and loaded with opportunity. As the politics, economics
and, unfortunately threats to, the world around us change, so
must we and respond positively by assisting employers to source
and develop sufficient skilled people for their current, and more
importantly their future, needs.
We are therefore delighted that in support of this work the Government
has launched a new department: the Department for Innovation,
Universities and Skills (DIUS) and according to its Secretary
of State, John Denham, the new department has: “A unique
responsibility of strengthening the UK’s economic performance
and transforming the opportunities and ambitions of millions of
people.” The launch was followed by the introduction of
the ‘Skills Pledge’ and ‘Our Future. It’s
In Our Hands’ initiatives, both of which will help employers,
the latter by providing funding, to implement the recommendations
of the Leitch Review of skills.
On a more practical level, we are also continuing with our work
to lead the way and equip people with the everyday skills that
have been identified by their employers as essential in carrying
out their roles effectively and, more importantly, safely. Working
with a network of accredited specialist training providers we
have introduced trainer’s courses for weapons awareness,
conflict management, physical intervention and first aid and we
are also working with Awarding Bodies and Higher Education Institutions,
to bridge the gap between vocational and academic qualifications,
thus providing solutions to protect those people, who, in return,
serve and protect us all.
Stefan Hay FSyI
Director of Business Development and Communication
Compulsory licensing of the private security industry in Scotland
comes into force on 1 November 2007 when it will becomes illegal
to work in certain designated roles without a licence.
On 6 April 2007 the Security Industry Authority began accepting
applications to the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) in Scotland.
Steve Malcolm, Certification Manager of NQA comments:
“Although voluntary, adopting the Approved Contractor Scheme
has many benefits, the key one for the Scottish industry at present
is that companies could get special dispensation to deploy security
staff while their SIA licence applications are being processed.
When compulsory licensing was launched in England and Wales a
lot of organisations were caught out as the licensing process
took longer than they thought.
Comments from NQA clients that have adopted the scheme relayed
the fact that some existing contracts were under threat as clients
were beginning to demand Approved Contractor status from their
security industry providers”.
The ACS focuses on customer commitment, positive stakeholder relationships
and the ability to deliver outstanding customer service and is
recognised by local authorities, government departments and the
commercial sector.
NQA is one of the SIA-accredited assessing bodies for the ACS
and one of the world’s leading accredited certification
bodies with over 15 years experience. NQA’s Assessors understand
the security industry, have extensive auditing experience and
work in accordance with international standards.
The ACS covers the following sectors: Door Stewards, Security
Guarding, Key Holding, Cash and Valuables in Transit, Public Space
Surveillance CCTV and Close Protection.
 Security
consultancy, Advanced Security Partners (ASP), has won a £250,000
contract with developers HGB Properties to advise on the designs
of a key development in Leeds.
Latitude Red, totalling 121,000 sq ft will be the first commercial
building to launch to market in 2008 from the ground-breaking
Latitude scheme. In total Latitude will span 10 acres and be developed
over the next 10 years. The largest city centre mixed use development
to date; it will comprise 600,000sq-ft of prestige commercial
office accommodation, in addition to more than 700 apartments.
Latitude Red has already been awarded ‘Secured by Design’
status, a forward-thinking accreditation established by the National
Association of Chief Police Officers. The scheme promotes and
awards the principles of ‘designing out crime’ through
the application of effective crime prevention and security standards
during the design and construction of developments.
Leeds is one of the fastest growing cities of our time and its
skyline is continually developing and evolving. Over £2.5bn
worth of property completed between1995-2004, a further £1.5bn
is currently under construction and £3.4bn in the pipeline.
Crime statistics, throughout the UK, also appear to be growing,
with 3733 theft offences registered in Leeds last year*. With
this in mind, architects and developers are becoming increasingly
aware of the measures that can be made to reduce the risk of crime
and are involving security consultants at the initial planning
stage to stamp out potential problems before they have a chance
to materialise.
Richard Summer, director of ASP, said of their appointment: “We’re
committed to preventing the occurrence of crime through innovative
and integrated efforts with architects and developers. Latitude
will boast some of the most revolutionary security measures in
the market, including 1.5 second high-speed shutters and a bespoke
graphical user interface containing floor plans of the entire
building to forewarn of any potential issues. It also boasts long
range reader detection units, meaning you don’t need to
fob in/out or enter a pin code, that allow car drivers to stay
in the safety of their vehicles when entering/exiting the development.
*· From Home Office regional crime statistics available
at www.crimestatistics.org.uk.
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