Safety And Security Management: Personnel

Safety and Security Management Personnel

Joel McNamara

Personnel Policies & Procedures – – – – – – –

Safety and security briefings Required training Health Personnel practices and records Cash management and transport Staff movement Use of guards

Safety & Security Briefings • A short, mandatory presentation on important safety and security issues. • Given to all new staff members and visitors. • Some of the information can be emailed to new staff members or visitors prior to their arrival (avoid including any sensitive information). • When you give a safety and security briefing, try to tailor it to the staff member or visitor.

What to include in a briefing? • • • • • • • • • •

Primary office contacts and phone numbers Communication systems that are being used Current political situation and trends Conflict-related threats (if appropriate) Current criminal threats Natural hazards Health concerns Travel restrictions Summary of disaster, safety and security plans General procedures for responding to common threats

Training • Training is an essential part of a risk management program. – Gets staff members to think about safety and security issues – Enhances overall office safety and security – Prevents or minimizes potential incidents.

• Training should not be a one-time event. • Recurring training sessions are essential to reinforce knowledge and give staff members the opportunity to practice skills.

What types of mandatory training should be offered? • • • •

Basic personal security Evacuation procedures Fire and electrical safety First Aid/CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation)

Optional Training – – – – – – – –

Anti-terrorism Landmine/UXO (UneXploded Ordnance) awareness Communication procedures Emergency preparedness procedures (storms, earthquakes, etc.) Defensive/Evasive driving training and basic vehicle maintenance Kidnap prevention and hostage survival Incident reporting Stress management

Developing Training • Determine needs. • Use local resources (Red Cross/Red Crescent for first aid, fire brigade/departments for fire safety) • Check the Internet. • If you don’t have experience teaching, find someone in the office who does and ask for assistance.

What makes good training? • What participants should know or do better because of the training. • Adults learn better from doing. • Think about the best way to present the information. Examples include a PowerPoint presentation, a discussion group, or a practical demonstration. • Keep training sessions short (typically under an hour). • Avoid lecturing and “talking at” staff. • Encourage discussion and questions. • Use activities (such as practical demonstrations) to make things interesting. The more hands-on activities, the better. • Be sure to have an evaluation, so you can always improve your training skills.

Staff Health Policies • Immunizations - Essential immunizations should be identified based on your location, and staff members should be up to date with their vaccinations. • First aid training - All staff members should have basic first aid skills including CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation). In areas of conflict or where landmines are present, a higher level of trauma first aid training is recommended.

Staff Health Policies • HIV/AIDS training - HIV/AIDS is a global threat, and all national and international staff members should receive basic awareness training. • Health awareness - Staff members should be kept informed of local conditions that pose health risks, including outbreaks of infectious diseases. A good resource to periodically check is the World Health Organization's Web site at: www.who.int.

Staff Health Policies • Local healthcare - Local facilities that provide good healthcare should be identified (this information is especially important for visitors and international or new staff members). Many organizations provide staff with medical insurance coverage. • Medical emergency plans - Your office should have emergency response plans to deal with local medical emergencies or incidents where a staff member needs to be evacuated to a larger city or another country for treatment.

Medical Emergency Plans • Local - In areas where medical care is available, this plan should include how a staff member will be transported for treatment, which hospital or clinic he or she will be taken to, and any procedures regarding treatment, reporting and payment. • Evacuation - In areas where there is limited medical or specialized care, it may be necessary to evacuate a staff member to a large city or even another country to receive treatment. This typically involves using an aircraft (United Nations, military or commercial) to transport the patient. This is often called Medevac, for Medical Evacuation.

How do you review a medical plan? • Think through the steps of the response plan to see if they make sense. • Visit the hospitals or clinics that are listed in the medical response plan. • Understand the types of medical care a hospital or clinic can provide. • Talk to hospital or clinic management to ensure that any agreements with your organization are current. • Understand how long it will take to transport a patient to a medical facility. • Be clear with staff about who is covered, what is covered and what procedures are in place to ensure a timely and effective response.

Stress Management • The reasons organizations need to be concerned about staff member stress include: – Stress can cause health problems, which leads to staff members missing work. – People under stress tend not to think as clearly and are more likely to make mistakes or behave inappropriately. – Staff members under stress are often quick to become angry or irritated, decreasing their effectiveness in working with others. – Cumulative stress results in "burn-out," which can often cause valuable staff members to leave their jobs.

Stress Management • It is impossible to eliminate all stress in life, but there are ways in which it can be managed. • Your office should have a policy that discusses stress management, not only for emergency situations, but also for everyday work. Stress management is something that should be practiced all of the time.

Personnel Practices • Background checks - A useful security measure in preventing potential problems; for example hiring a driver with drunk driving convictions. • Training records - Updated safety and security training records should be included in each staff member’s personnel file. • Theft - Your office should have a very clear theft policy. • Staff discipline and termination – In some cases, disciplining or terminating an employee may pose a security risk. You should have policies for dealing with potentially hostile employees.

Record of Emergency Data • A Record of Emergency Data (RED) is an important information source in the event of an emergency. • During an emergency, having this information can speed up response time and increase effectiveness. • REDs should be stored in either the staff member’s personnel folder or alphabetized in a separate notebook or file folder. • A RED should be completed immediately upon hire and reviewed and updated at least once a year or as required when staff member information changes.

What do you include in a RED? • Nationality • Passport number and expiration date • Visa information and expiration date, including Personal health information (existing conditions, medications, allergies, blood type, vaccinations and prohibitions on medical treatments) • Home country address • Family contact information • Vehicle information (type, license plate number, radio call sign, and channel) • Religious affiliations and restrictions

Staff Movement • Your office may have security policies in place that restrict staff movement. These could include: – Limiting travel to daylight hours – Identifying and avoiding certain areas with high levels of risk – Restricting international staff from driving organization vehicles – In certain high-risk environments, restricting staff to a compound or office and residence

• The purpose of staff movement policies is to reduce risk.

Staff Movement • At times these policies may be difficult for some staff members to accept. • Your office’s senior management team has implemented staff movement policies for good reasons, which are in the best interest of all staff. • Management should be aware that strict staff movement policies might have an affect on morale. • You should understand the reasons the policies were instituted and be able to communicate why they are a good security measure.

Cash Management/Transport • If known about, the presence of cash can make a tempting target for criminals. • Good cash policies and procedures decrease the risks of cash being stolen and staff members being harmed.

How do you ensure cash safety? • In the event of a robbery, staff members should not risk their lives to protect cash. • Information about the presence of cash and details about storage, distribution and transport should be kept as confidential as possible. • Designate two or three staff members to withdraw and transfer cash. Ensure they are covered by the office insurance policy. • Staff members should never discuss transporting cash with others. • Conduct large cash transactions in a private room at the bank. Limit the number of bank employees who have knowledge of the transfer.

Cash Management Guidelines • When transferring cash, consider dividing it up between several different staff members, each using a different route. • Do not consistently use the same route and time for cash transfers. Schedules and routes should vary. • Never use public transportation when transferring cash. Use a reliable staff driver who is not aware that cash is present. • Use different drivers and cars so a pattern is not established. • Incoming cash should immediately be put in the office safe.

Guards • Deciding whether to use guards, especially armed guards, can be a very complicated choice based on image and perception. • Clearly understand the benefits and drawbacks to using guards.

How do you best use guards? • Ensure the guards have the necessary equipment to perform their duties (flashlight/torch and batteries, whistle, radio or telephone, etc.). • Ensure guards have the most recent and accurate office management contact information. • Check that guards have been provided with basic first aid and fire safety training. • Ensure guards have access to shelter and toilet facilities. • Make sure guards are wearing a uniform or some form of identifying clothing.

Guard Guidelines • Perform random inspections (sometimes before or after office working hours) to see if guards are on duty. • Be sure there are office policies and procedures that clearly describe guard duties and the levels of force guards may use under certain circumstances. • Ask guards how they would respond to certain situations. • Incorporate guards into office emergency drills. (Be extremely careful that if armed guards are used they know it is a training exercise.)

Questions? More information at: http://ngosecurity.googlepages.com/