WORLD CLASS. BRITISH MADE. Chris.E Chris Elliot has been managing our textiles factory for 4 years, where all textiles elements are manufactured for the Evac+Chair. Textiles Manager - 4 years
x RISKXtra BSIA Briefing What with standards being constantly updated and the national media often focusing on very few aspects of what is demonstrably an important and complex industry, it’s all-too-easy to overlook the fundamentals of security and its ultimate goal – to protect people from harm and their assets from being damaged or stolen. When it comes to security systems, smoke screens can be deemed the ultimate deterrent because they take away criminals’ ability to grab and steal. Criminals know that they can evade CCTV by wearing a baseball cap, for example, to hide their face. They also know that shutters and grilles can be broken through force, but they have no defence whatsoever against the blinding and disorientating effects of a smoke screen. The initial burst of security fog stops criminals in their tracks, preventing them from committing a grab-and-go attack. The fog will hang in the air for around 45 minutes, protecting the property that’s under attack until the police or private security staff arrive on scene. Such smoke screens can be triggered either automatically or manually. Non-toxic, non-contaminating and extremely effective, security fog currently provides protection where all other forms of conventional security have failed. The key takeaway of this particular deterrent is its non-harmful, but nevertheless striking impact on the senses – in this case visibility – that triggers a fight-or-flight response. A criminal may expect an intruder alarm or CCTV cameras to confront them, but not necessarily thick and dense fog. Preventing an intrusion Visibility can play a vital role in deterring criminals in other ways, and especially so if they’re pre-warned that a given premises is protected. Simon Banks, founder and Group managing director at CSL and current chairman of the BSIA, stated: “One of the two main deterrents aligned with intruder alarm systems is the window sticker and the bell or siren on the commercial property. Research has shown that the sight of a siren box with a logo on the exterior of the property will prevent an intrusion. It’s about credibility, though. If it’s a respected security company with a good reputation and credentials such as an Inspectorate and/or Trade Associationapproved ‘badging’ then this will carry more clout. Brands associated with DIY alarms will likely not meet with the same response.” Tim Raynor, video surveillance product manager at ADT, suggests that visibility alone Deterring The Criminals Recently, a story appeared in the national media about how a robbery was thwarted due to the in situ security measures which scared the criminals away. Situations like this make us reflect on the fundamental roots of security and the reasons why it exists in the first place. This month we head to the very heart of security as Carl Gibbard assesses the various crime deterrents developed by BSIA member companies will not always deter crime. It depends on the type of criminal. “The visibility of a security system is enough to deter an opportunist criminal, but a career criminal who has planned ahead probably wouldn’t be put off,” asserted Raynor. “It’s now a sad fact that most people ignore a ringing alarm, so it’s the responsibility of security industry leaders to develop innovations that help to reduce crime.” Raynor continued: “When it comes to monitored systems, these functionalities have evolved significantly over the last decade. An audio challenge feature, which enables an operator to remotely challenge an intruder on a property, adds an extra protective layer to any physical security system. In fact, statistics issued last year by Johnson Controls state that 98.5% of intruders are deterred in this way.” In addition, Raynor went on to assert: “Community groups such as Neighbourhood Watch are still prevalent to this day. As crime levels around the UK continue to be an issue, we’re seeing both businesses and consumers using platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to share information in real-time, allowing them to quickly take steps to protect Carl Gibbard: Chairman of the BSIA’s Export Council and Chairman of Concept Smoke Screen 15 www.riskxtra.com>
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