Companies, sites and venues must re-budget and re-equip premises that will host human traffic with the re-opening of the economy. The vulnerability landscape has changed dramatically, where a company or site cannot afford to have an infected person in their location. Simply put, if such occurs, that company or site will be closed down again for weeks on end.
Different locations could be opened in a layered approach. Each location or field of interest could have the same issues of distinct problems that need to be overcome before mass traffic is permitted. Subsequently, the protocols for security and the public must be in place.
Let us keep in mind that security officers perhaps already know that they have had a life-impacting experience at hand, but there are those that have no idea if they have had a near miss or perhaps could be infected. There is not much one could do if a person is not at full blown status with a high temperature, which is a problem; but what is just as big or perhaps a bigger problem is the person that has a high temperature. Furthermore, security officers could be highly trained with physical handling abilities, but they may not be appropriate for front line positions.
This situation dictates that the equipment, technology and manpower must work in sync. The vulnerability landscape demands that the right people with the appropriate skills must be placed in distinct positioning. The comprehension of incident reporting is vital so as to detect if there are issues that must be uncovered or copycat problems occurring that must be arrested.
The security industry can be the foundation sector that can dismantle COVID-19 by advising its clients on the technology, equipment and manpower that is required. Furthermore, certain protocols can be adopted while relevant site-specific protocols must be designed and implemented.
These issues and more are covered in a new paper from ISIO, titled ‘Managing COVID-19, The Security Manager’s strategic, operational and protocol guide to limiting collateral damage’. Larry Barton, PhD, distinguished university professor of crisis management and public safety, University of Central Florida, USA, referring to the paper, states: “This paper … [outlines] action steps and considerations that employers must take now, before rancour and situations of aggression and harm emerge in the workplace. While all of us want to be optimists, we must be realists – the health check of employees in so many employment environments globally does not meet a one-size-fits-all standard.
“If employers race to bring back employees without thinking about the many nuances that the paper outlines, they do so at their own peril.”
In this pandemic situation, security success to limit the collateral damage of COVID-19 will depend on the level of situational awareness of the decision-makers on the ground (all are decision-makers) and their reaction speed. Reaction speed at this moment is simply: REACT NOW. The paper referred to (Managing COVID-19, The Security Manager’s strategic, operational and protocol guide to limiting collateral damage) can be found on the ISIO website: https://www.intsi.org
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