YOUR SECURITY’S INSURANCE POLICY

Fate can strike at any time; So, insurance is your safeguard against loss, damage or physical injury. And, buying insurance is just good common sense, as insurance protects against the unknown  risks. Such  incidents  , from a  simple traffic accident, a rare occurrence   to your home or office burning to the ground, could basically be irreversible.

So, what about your companies security insurance policy, that being a written Security Plan?  Do you have such a structured security plan? Well, just as your various insurance policies are important, a written security plan is a must.  In times past, an agreement. between two individuals, simply meant a friendly “hand shake”. However, times have surely changed.

Speaking from many years experience, in the security/safety field, the security plan  will be  the first document of evidence requested, in any legal action against the companies security department.

The security program is an essential element in the company’s daily operation and a vital part of every employees job. Good security programs pay off in the overall risk management from the individual safety of employees and customers to the bottom line profit. And it is this profit that basically keeps the employees working.

Most  local, state and federal compliance agencies only provide minimum standards, as a guide to the enforcement of the various corporate security plans. To be effect, and stand the course of time and legal desecration, a corporate security policy should go far beyond the governmental authorizes minimum standards. For instance, take the federal Bank Protection Act (BPA), listed below.

The purpose of the Bank Protection Act of 1968 (BPA) is to discourage robberies, burglaries and larcenies committed against financial institutions. The BPA requires the Federal financial institution supervisory agencies to establish minimum standards for the installation, maintenance, and operation of security devices and procedures to discourage these crimes, and to assist in the identification and apprehension of persons who commit them.  The regulations, substantially revised in 1991, contain several requirements for savings

associations.

The corporate security philosophy should be clearly defined by assigning the security duties and responsibility, to all employees. The plan should start with  precise but workable Objective, as follows:

OBJECTIVE

It is this company’s objective to concentrate on having  a “proactive” rather than a “reactive’ security policy.

1. To provide workable standards to executives, security personnel and other employees, to establish and administer procedures to protect personnel, customers and assets.

2. To provide continuous  information regarding managements philosophy of security which is intended to create an attitude of preparedness and concern.

3. To Provide continuous information and training, with respect to the various security policies.

4. To standardize security policy practices and procedures throughout the organization.

POLICY  DIVISION

The policy should have three main divisions, 1 Administration, 2) Physical Security and 3) Investigations. The Administration division should include the administration duties, executive protection and disaster control. The Physical Security division should include the maintenance  of surveillance cameras, alarms and card access systems, as well as the security control console.  The Physical Security division should also include the uniform guard maintenance. The Investigations division should include investigating all types of fraud including white collar theft, employee and customer theft and all other fraud against the company.

HELPFUL TIPS

As mentioned before hand, it is very important to have all phases of the company employees actively  involved with security. Here as just a few suggestions.

• Consider a “Lessons Learned” program. This program should be a written evaluation of all major crimes, against the company. And the evaluation should be distributed to all department managers, to be discuss in the routine departments  staff meetings.
• Consider an employee monthly “security news bulletin” listing various security tips for work, travel and home. The bulletin could include a “security employee” of the month.
• Consider a “security tip line” available to all employees to telephone security tips.
• Consider monthly management ” birds of a feather” meetings to discuss the “pro’s and con’s, of the ongoing security program.
• Consider including  a “security overview: with the regular Human Resources “new employee” orientation.

PLAN REVISION

The, the most important phase of the company security insurance policy, the “written Security Plan”, is ensuring that the plan is reviewed annually, or as needed, in order to keep up with the ever changing security trends.

If you have never had a written security plan, or if your plan has not been update recently, it’s time to review the plan and make the necessary corrections, to bring the plan up to the 21st century. Remember, a company is only  secure because of an ethical workable “Security Plan”. Don’t wait till the night before that crucial court appearance too scramble through a make-shift  plan. Good luck.!

FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR COMPANY SECURITY NEEDS, PLEASE CONTACT CHARLES ROBEY  AT ccrobey@charter.net

Home security is something to not take lightly, especially given today’s faltering and unstable economy.