Facility Security
With cargo thefts and terrorist threats on the rise the trucking industry is being forced to put facility security near the top of the to do list. Access to sensitive areas has to be restricted, hazardous materials have to be inventoried, vehicles, and freight have to be examined not just in terms of their value to the carrier but also their potential for being used as weapons.Facility security depends on a security plan; how complex the security plan is depends on the nature of the operation. It may require the need to hire more employees, install new locks and surveillance equipment, implement new security procedures for visitors, or even make change to the facilities physical layout.
A security plan starts with an evaluation of the physical facility, its operations, the level of risk, and its current state of security. The security system that is right for a given carrier will be unique to its specific operation. If the budget allows have a security presence in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The primary reason for a security system is to keep unauthorized persons out. Any visitor, vendor, contractor, or other person who enters the facility on a temporary basis has the potential to be a security risk. Visitors and other non-employees should only be allowed to enter the facility when necessary and all visitors should be required to register at a designated visitor entrance before being allowed to enter the facility and should be accompanied by an employee.
All employees should be trained to take notice of suspicious activities and people and they should report it. Employees should also be encouraged to make suggestions on how to improve security. Employees should be wary of people who try to access restricted, sensitive areas or materials, such as classified documents, computers, locked areas, and hazardous materials.
Control your keys entrance security depends on key control; the best locks in the world do not provide much protection against someone who has a key. All facilities need to have a facility wide key control system that ensures the security of keys, access cards, key codes and combinations.
Yard access control procedures include:
- Limiting access to only one entrance.
- Observing and reporting suspicious activities.
- Protect the perimeter of the facility using a security fence topped with a barbed wire section angled outward at a 45-degree angle.
- The entire facility should have adequate lighting. Lighting should allow security personnel to see all sensitive areas including the inside of vehicles and all areas of the perimeter.