Liability for Security Contractors

Ive taken this one from my Misedio website - courtesy WorkCover NSW.

Its a good reminder why principal contractors engaging security (or any sub-contrator actually) MUST ensure their subbies have adequate insurance coverage. If your sub-contractor has ineffecitive cover (ie no coverage at all) the principal contactor will be up for the bill (or their insurer will, if its covered in their policy).

$407000 fine for subcontrator employee fatality
In the NSW Industrial Relations Commission in 2005 a head security contractor, a company it had engaged as a sub contractor, and a director were issued fines totalling $407,000. The Workcover CEO said, “This judgement is a landmark decision, which has clarified that the place of work definition in the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 applies equally to principal contractors and sub-contractors.”

Of note, principal contractors often rely on invoicing as a way of controlling their contactors ongoing insured status. They demand that sub-contractors must submit a copy of their current insurance policy prior to issuing payment of an invoice (as principals know,under the security of payments legislation, this is in fact law). However, this system does not adequately cover the situation of insurance expiring immediately AFTER an invoice has been paid. You could potentially have an uninsurred contractor working for you, and not have this identified until the next invoice is recieved for payment.

Don't say I didn't warn you......

Steve
www.misedio.com

Links
Misedio website where article can be found:
http://www.misedio.com/Resources/CaseWatch/tabid/305/Default.aspx

Workcover website where article can be found:
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/MediaResources/MediaReleases/2005/security_firms_fined_after_fatal_robbery.htm

Easy and Effective Risk Analysis

I've written before on this blog about site security guarding services and their critical function on construction sites. Well, ive just come across this excellent and simple risk assessment checklist by Ashmark security of Melbourne (Australia). This list contained on this page asks the simple questions that should get any site or project manager thinking the right way about construction site security. The fact that Ashmark are asking their construction clients whether their gate hinge pins are spot welded tells me that this is a company that KNOWS the environment into which they are selling services.

If their webswite is anything to go by, if you are looking for a security provider in Melbourne, I would think they are well worth checking out.

Steve
http://www.misedio.com/

Links
Ashmark Website:
http://www.ashmarksecurity.com.au/scripts/default.asp?idPage=5&Name=Home

Ashmark page on which risk assessment information is found:
http://www.ashmarksecurity.com.au/Scripts/default.asp?idPage=4

Security...Anyone???

In todays highly litigious environment there is nothing more critical to a major contrators risk management control system than effective static guarding security. Particularly in developments that are taking place in urban centres, the good old security guard is the thin blue line between a controlled construction site environment and completely unfettered public access. In some circumstances, the requirement for security will be imposed on you by local council.

So if you are going to have the expense of security at the gate it's in your own interest to get full value out of them. Think about the following points when engaging a contractor, as too often a security guard is employed purely as a "gate" - allowing entry or not. Think more widely when you engage your contractor - what else can they do to support your brand and corporate image? When drafting your security scope think about including the following items:

Clean Site Entry

• Make security responsible for keeping the site entry clean. Provide brooms and shovels and a handy bin to facilitate this. A clean site entry says a lot about site managment - particularly when you have important (senior managment or government regulators!) coming to site unexpectedly.

Graffiti Removal

• The best way to stop graffiti is to remove it as soon as it appears. Security (particularly night security) can be critical in this. Provide your guards with water based paint, brushes, overalls, and buckets. If your security provider can overwrite graffiti quickly and often enough, you will go a long way to stopping it altogether.

Access Control

• For the security guard, knowing who should and should not be on site is difficult, particularly on large projects. Different workers starting and finishing on the project every day makes knowing who should be provided with access hard.
• You can help his situation by providing a dedicated access control system. At it's most minimal level, this only needs to consist of identification cards issued to workers who have successfully completed the site induction - preferably with photos. These can then be presented to security at entry each day. Systems on this scale start at around 10k installed - which is a small investment for the benefit it delivers.
• More sophisticated systems are available, ranging in price up to 160k. These include smart card technology. However, in considering these, really examine the value proposition attached to implementation and use. In my experience, the benefit you get from 10k is not that much different to 160k, so be wary.

Effective security can be a real asset. It sometimes requires you to think outside the square at the time of drafting up the scope of service.

Steve
http://www.misedio.com/