David Blunkett at BSIA AGM
The BSIA is delighted to announce that the new Home Secretary, David Blunkett, will be the principal guest at the Association’s Annual General Meeting 2001 – to be held on Wednesday 11 July. Current ACPO president Tony Burden will also be in attendance.
The event combines the annual get-together of BSIA members and key industry figures with the finals of the BSIA’s annual Security Officer Awards (see last month’s Viewpoint for details). There are three new categories in 2001 – Best Newcomer, Best Use of Technology and Best Team – to add to the existing awards for Outstanding Act and Service to the Customer.
There will also be the presentation of apprentice installer awards, and the announcement of the BSIA Chairman’s Awards.
Variations to ACPO 2000
The BSIA – and representatives of its Systems Section – has been working to collate a full record of the regional variations to ACPO 2000. These have now been summarised in a letter sent to Andy Trotter, the new chairman of the ACPO Security Systems Committee.
The letter also highlights the problems that these variations have caused security companies and their customers.
It is very much hoped that the work currently being carried out by the new Review and Monitoring Group will help in minimising these problems in the future. BSIA research into false alarms: the results The BSIA’s research into methods of false alarm management across Europe has produced some interesting results. The full report will not be available until the Autumn but, at a seminar held on 17 May, BSIA technical manager John Finney summarised the key findings.
The report confirms that end user error is the main cause of false alarms. Different methods have been used to tackle this problem and, interestingly, many of our European neighbours use private response (not police response) to all or some of their alarm systems – including a payable fee for each call-out.
Other successful methods that may be adopted in the UK as a result of the research include: easy-to-use control panels, increased sampling times on detectors, the German Blockschloss technique (whereby access to a premises is only enabled when the alarm system is unset) and system setting/unsetting from the Alarm Receiving Centre.
BSIA responds to ‘paper talk’
On Monday 28 May an article entitled ‘Police turn deaf ear to burglar alarm calls’ appeared in The Daily Telegraph. The article claimed that burglar alarms are no longer an effective deterrent to crime because the police don’t respond to them. In response, BSIA chairman David Fletcher wrote a Letter to the Editor outlining the article’s inaccuracies. He highlighted the important distinction between ‘bells-only’ and monitored alarms, and between DIY and professionally-designed, installed and maintained alarms. David also made reference to the large body of research reports that show alarms to be very effective crime deterrents.
Environmental management
The BSIA has produced a guidance document for its members on the development of environmental management systems.
An ever-increasing number of clients are requiring manned security companies to have such a system in place before they will consider them for a guarding contract.
It isn’t difficult to develop an environmental management system. Most companies will already be aware of the issues involved, but may not be documenting the process in line with the relevant British Standards.
Workplace investigations
Under new proposals outlined by the Health and Safety Executive, security companies may find themselves duty-bound to investigate reportable, work-related accidents, ill-health or ‘near misses’ which could have resulted in serious injury. This would represent an extension to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.
