Facility Security – Living in a Safe Environment
What is Facility Security?
Facility security refers to maintaining the safety of a facility, ensuring its continuous operation and progress in a secure environment. This means that the technical and administrative staff within the facility can focus on their responsibilities while the burden of securing the facility rests solely on the security management team.
Facility Security Systems:
These are a set of rules and regulations aimed at protecting the facility from potential risks. Security systems consist of two main components:
- Structural Axis: Represented by the organizational and administrative framework for security operations.
- Substantive Axis: Represented by the technical core of the security work.
Risks Faced by Facilities
Facilities are constantly threatened by various risks, which makes facility security an absolute necessity to counter these threats. The most significant risks to facilities include:
- Human Risks, such as:
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Terrorism
- Espionage
- Internal sabotage
- Deviant individual activities
- Unintentional Human Errors, such as:
- Fires
- Water leakage
- Gas leaks
- Disasters
- Natural Risks, such as:
- Natural disasters like floods, storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
Roles of Facility Security Departments
The roles of security departments vary depending on the type of facility. The nature of the facility’s activities determines the scale and complexity of its security department. Security in social facilities may be smaller and less complex compared to economic and political facilities. The main responsibilities of security departments in facilities include:
- Maintaining security
- Securing the facility’s buildings
- Protecting confidential facility information
- Ensuring the safety of facility personnel
- Issuing security and safety regulations
- Implementing and monitoring security and safety procedures
- Controlling access points (entrances and exits)
- Preventing economic losses (theft, embezzlement, damage)
- Investigating safety and security incidents
- Reviewing and adjusting security measures after each incident
- Conducting routine and special security patrols, investigations, and inspections
- Ensuring the safety and functionality of emergency exits, equipment, and systems
- Training and guiding security staff and facility workers on safety protocols
- Ensuring compliance with safety regulations
- Securing the facility against potential risks
- Developing emergency evacuation and firefighting plans
- Coordinating with local authorities (civil defense, emergency services, criminal investigations, etc.)
Preventive Security Measures and Emergency Plans
Each facility must prepare its own security measures based on its organizational capabilities and budget, with the primary goal of safeguarding the facility. Security measures should not be too weak to fail in providing protection, nor too excessive to interfere with the facility’s operations.
A facility should have an integrated security plan that includes preventive measures for potential risks, which should cover the following points:
- Assigning a Security Team
A capable security team that can face challenges, including:- Security Manager: The primary responsible person for security, who creates plans, procedures, and regulations.
- Security Officer: Ensures the implementation of security and safety measures, monitors overall security, oversees security personnel tasks (including access control, risk prevention, patrols), and regularly refreshes skills related to first aid, fire safety, traffic control, and general security procedures.
- Security Personnel and Supervisors
- Equipping Security Staff
Providing the necessary equipment and devices to perform their duties effectively. - Training Security Staff
Regular and appropriate training for security personnel to perform their duties. - Preparing an Industrial Security Plan
Creating a suitable industrial security plan and providing necessary equipment. - Training Employees on Evacuation Plans
Regularly training all employees on evacuation plans and ensuring they are fully familiar with them. - Forming Specialized Teams
Establishing teams for evacuation, inspection, rescue, and firefighting, consisting of trained security personnel and staff. - Studying the Facility’s Context
Evaluating the following:- Geographic location and surrounding natural conditions
- Nearby facilities and their activities
- Identifying employees, workers, visitors, and clients
- Controlling traffic movement, organizing parking areas for vehicles and people
- Classifying and counting fire prevention equipment, first aid kits, and theft prevention tools
- Inspecting electrical and mechanical devices
- Conducting Regular Patrols
Both on foot and in vehicles, mixing civilian and uniformed attire to monitor guard locations and ensure vigilance. Patrol staff should be equipped with necessary tools for their duties. - Familiarity with Firearms Usage
Security staff should be familiar with the rules for using firearms, if needed by the facility. - Thorough Background Checks on New Employees
Carrying out thorough background investigations on all staff before hiring. - Uniforms and Identification Cards
Providing security personnel with specific work uniforms and identity cards. - Designing Secure Gateways
Ensuring gate designs meet security and safety requirements, with more than one entry/exit point for flexibility. - Inventory Control System
Setting up an inventory control system for tools and equipment, especially small items. - Encouraging Reporting of Theft and Security Breaches
Motivating employees to report any thefts or security violations. - Tightening Control on Vulnerable Areas
Increasing surveillance in areas prone to theft or security breaches. - Security Awareness Programs
Distributing monthly internal newsletters and other materials to raise awareness. - Clear Security Supervision Roles
Defining the security responsibilities of each role, such as shift leaders and security officers. - Periodic Security Reviews
Regularly reviewing and adjusting security procedures to ensure continuous improvement.
Technological Support in Facility Security
Modern technology has significantly enhanced security at facilities, airports, and ports, such as the use of electronic gates, magnetic ID cards for employees and visitors, and different colored cards to determine authorized areas based on the clearance level and purpose of the visit. Additionally, communication devices (both wired and wireless) provide fast communication and emergency support. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems have improved efficiency by reducing the number of personnel required for monitoring. Other technologies, such as alarm systems and modern sound amplification devices, have further contributed to the success of preventive plans and reduced human error
