NEWS - Harnessing the Power of Modern Security Technology
Controlling assets to maximise value has never been more important for the food and drink sector. The value of modern security systems is not just about how it may keep intruders out and property safe; it’s just as likely to be about providing solutions for internal management to protect staff and improve production.
All too often, security specifications are drawn up internally by non-specialists. Where the food sector can really benefit is by calling in specialists for an overall security audit, something that any company with industry credentials and the right technical know-how should be happy to offer.
The difference comes in knowing the potential of new products and systems and applying them to your particular situation. In this technological age, there is probably a solution to every one of your security or production management headaches.
A good example is an installation using biometric finger print recognition for an East Midlands based ready prepared vegetable processing plant. As part of their industry audit and the requirements of their major supermarket customers, the company needed to improve security and prevent unauthorised movement, as individuals could enter the site and buildings, including high-risk production areas, without being challenged. We rejected the idea of proximity tags because they could not be taken into a controlled food area, and we rejected coded entry because of the likelihood of security lapses with a high turnover of agency staff.
Biometrics, where a person simply swipes their finger across a reader, may sound like something from a Mission Impossible film, but it’s the ideal solution in this situation, and no one can forget to have their ‘pass’ with them. As well as controlling external areas, it’s also ideal for inter-department control. As a solution it has resource efficiency benefits but most importantly high street retail customers are happy with security on site, helping to protect future contracts.
In another recent installation, at one of Pinguin’s multi-site food production facilities, the brief was to cut costs. That was easily achievable by replacing manned guarding with 24 hour remotely monitored CCTV and an integrated access system around the site. The one-off installation cost of £75,000 was swiftly recovered against the previous £90,000 pa bill for guarding. It’s also providing much higher security for the site, with round the clock monitoring across all areas at all times.
There are also CCTV cameras inside the site. Here, the cameras are to protect staff and manage production rather than to keep out intruders. Cameras trained on the production line help identify line stoppages whilst also overseeing general staff behaviour, and in the cold store environment, with temperatures of minus 25 degrees, lone workers on forklifts are monitored, providing strong health and safety support.
Health and safety is a valued by-product at another Pinguin site, where a dangerous effluent plant site containing many deep pits is remotely monitored out of hours. This is guarding against intruders entering and injuring themselves in the danger zones, a concern that has to be addressed under current legislation. The monitoring also ensures that the discharge system does not become blocked and cause any danger by overflows unto mains drains.
Every year nearly one in five businesses suffers a major disruption. The threat of tampering has increased; accidents and criminal attacks are all a risk to business continuity. Invest the time to review the critical risk areas in your business, and it will pay dividends.
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