Autumn 2015 Core Values - Securitas
Transcription
Autumn 2015 Core Values - Securitas
CORE VALUES Autumn 2015 Securitas Perks your NEW Employee Benefits scheme ✓ Up to 15% off the High Street ✓ Up to 50% off days out And much, much more... BSIA National Winners Securitas officers awarded four National Awards! Ground-breaking Solution Read about the 10 year ground-breaking solution for the University of Hertfordshire. Community Spirit All the latest community news – your community, your news. CORE VALUES An amazing £2,580 raised! Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby, are delighted to be the benefiting charity for the Securitas Community Awards. The awards raised a fantastic £2,580 which will go towards funding life-changing projects across the UK and Ireland to support disadvantaged and disabled children. Welcome The rugby heritage has given Wooden Spoon their core values of passion, integrity, teamwork and fun. Working closely with the international rugby community, these values drive the ethos and spirit in everything that they do. “It is so important that companies like Securitas focus on their core values to benefit charities like Wooden Spoon who are benefiting local communities across the country.” As stated by a Wooden Spoon Representative. The SOC is home to our custom built ‘HIVE’ (Alarm Receiving Centre) and Communications Centre, our new Training Academy accredited to City & Guilds and our support functions HR, Payroll, Commercial Functions, IT and Technology teams along with the experience centre which showcases new innovative security systems. 2015 is going to be one of the most exciting years for rugby with the World Cup on home turf. Wooden Spoon are celebrating the many things that the sport has given to people who have played it, supported it and been supported through it. The charity looks forward to the continued effort of Securitas employees. This autumn sees the exciting official opening of our newly built Securitas Operation Centre (SOC) located in Milton Keynes. Together we can change children’s lives through the power of rugby. Find out more at #wearerugby www.wswearerugby.org.uk This quarter also sees the opening of our new London Head Office, located in Russell Square, which will be home to the City of London Office, the Senior Management Team and the new European Divisional President, Magnus Ahlqvist. In this edition of Core Values you will see the exciting introduction of our new ‘Securitas Perks’ scheme, this will give you access to a fantastic range of discounts across a broad range of activities and goods, so please make sure you register. In June, I had the privilege of attending the Annual Securitas Community Awards and once again, I was moved and extremely proud of the selflessness, care and humility shown by Securitas employees. Well done to you all. And finally, please join me in welcoming Karen Morris-Lanz. Karen joins us in the capacity of HR Director and has a wealth of HR consultancy experience across a broad range of business sectors. Best Regards, Brian Riis Nielsen Country President A DAY IN THE LIFE... PAUL MAHONEY Crime Scene Guard How long have you worked for Securitas and why did you want to work with us? What are some of the challenges you face while guarding a crime scene and how are they solved? I joined Securitas almost 7 years ago as a Relief Officer and Supervisor at Princess Yachts Newport Street. I wanted to work in a fast-paced security focused role after serving 25 years in the British Army and I saw Securitas as a global company with opportunities in many different sectors. Thankfully, in most cases, the public respects the sensitivity of a crime scene. In the past, challenges I have faced include stopping unauthorised people from entering the scene. Whilst guarding a building, occupants trying to gain access to personal items is a common obstacle that I regularly face. It is a Crime Scene Guard’s responsibility to ensure that only those we have been given prior knowledge of and who carry the appropriate ID are allowed to enter. Using a variety of skills I have obtained from my specialist crime scene training as well as my experience as a security officer, I have been able to handle the situations that arise swiftly and professionally. What drew you to our Crime Scene Guarding Division? I was initially interested in becoming a Crime Scene Guard as I was always wanted to work for the Police force, I felt it would be an interesting line of work that I could incorporate within my security training. Before attending a crime scene, what training and preparation steps do you go through? Community Award Winners Very special thanks to our judges – Steve Falconer, John Bull and Lee Selkirk from the Bid Team who judged our winners for Q4 of the Securitas Community Awards. Community Roy Belton Outstanding Act Shane Paterson Helpfulness Aaron Bell Integrity Mark Rae Leadership Anatoljis Rauz, Piotr Draber & Gary Keating Innovation Peter Tye Team Port of Dover Team Core Values Eric Lewthwaite & Jeffrey Paton Vigilance Taresh Jabber SAFETY FIRST George Elliott When I started with the Crime Scene Guarding division, I attended a two-day Crime Scene Guarding specialist-training course. When a call comes in, to secure a crime scene, it is important to act as fast as possible to assist the local Constabulary. I keep a crime scene bag with all the materials I’m likely to need on site, ready for such calls. Before travelling, I try to get as much information as possible from the dispatch about the type of location I will be guarding. Once arriving on scene, what steps do you take to ensure the site is secure? Most of the time, the scene is secured and taped off prior to arriving by the local Constabulary. When I arrive at the scene, I collaborate with the Police and am briefed on the situation at hand. My role is to be vigilant at all times, making sure the location remains secure and the barrier is not crossed by unauthorised visitors ensuring the integrity of the crime scene. What do the Securitas Core Values mean to you? The core values are very important as a Crime Scene Guard. Maintaining the Integrity of a crime scene is extremely important, not only to the Police, but to any possible victims of the crime. It is my function at the scene to remain Vigilant to protect the scene while maintaining a Helpful presence to the local Constabulary. Tell us about a time when you felt you “made the difference” while guarding a crime scene. I was on duty at a crime scene involving a suicide when a bereaved relative came to visit. As expected they were distraught and I could tell needed comfort. While continuing to maintain the integrity of the scene, I made the visitor a cup of tea and comforted them by talking about happier times with the deceased. When the relative felt ready to leave they were obviously calmer and less distressed thanking me for the care I provided to the situation. As the UK’s leading business facing University with aspirations to be internationally renowned, we are delighted to be working so closely with Securitas. In today’s HE environment student experience and employability are key and the partnership we have with Securitas will respond very positively to these drivers. Andrew May, University Director of Estates & Hospitality As the UK’s leading business-facing University, the University of Hertfordshire has always been focused on developing new and creative approaches to learning, teaching and research with a commitment to adding value to students and employers and regional, national and international economies. The University has historically based its success on being able to continually improve the quality of its ‘offer’ in all aspects of University life, including the way that they deliver their security services. The University is committed to growing its reputation even further and has embarked upon a period of transformational changes to significantly invest in its campus both structurally and in the delivery of services. The Partnership Securitas awarded 10-year University Security Solutions Partnership Securitas has entered into a ground-breaking 10-year partnership to provide security and reception services to the University of Hertfordshire. The partnership was awarded as part of a long-term initiative that will see Securitas and the University work closely together, improve service and save the University, based in Hatfield Hertfordshire, around £500,000 a year over the decade. As part of the partnership, Securitas has pledged around £1million worth of technical investment, including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), a visitor management system, computerised radio communications and a Learning Resource Centre access control system, all of which are designed to improve service to the staff, students and visitors to the University. David Pike, National Account Manager - Education said: “These solutions are to assist the University in enhancing the student and staff experience and we are delighted to be working with the team at the University.” “This partnership is a really important step for Securitas as we look to grow our education portfolio. It is the first time a University has committed to a 10-year partnership and we are delighted they’ve chosen Securitas as their long-term partner.” Officers will provide manned and mobile guarding solutions, support to students in residence, ANPR and car park monitoring and visitor management systems including access control barriers. “We have pledged to ensure the University attains a position in the top five in the list of safest UK Universities (as published by Complete University Guide) within the first five years of the contract.” added David. Hatfield was recently named in the list of top 20 safest towns for students in the UK. The ranking, compiled from official police data, is based on how exposed a student will be to crime in 64 of England and Wales’ student towns and cities. Hatfield was rated at 18th making it safer than the neighbouring cities of Cambridge, Luton and London. The research was carried out by StuRents.com - a student accommodation search portal - and rankings are based on how many recorded crimes student areas experienced per thousand residents between February 2014 and January 2015. This partnership confirms our new solutions strategy is working. We are moving from pure man-guarding to offering solutions which integrate remote and mobile guarding services with technology to achieve cost-efficiency, added value and long-term customer relationships. Brian Riis Nielsen, Country President A personal best for Securitas Securitas has scooped another personal best at the 2015 British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Awards. The national awards pay tribute to the outstanding work of security officers over the past 12 months and Securitas was honoured with a record five accolades including two out of three honours in the ‘Outstanding Act’ category. Adam and a member of the public exited their vehicles to assist the wounded man. The attacker escaped, however Adam gave chase managing to restrain the offender shortly afterwards. The first ‘Outstanding Act’ award went to Tim Prodger from Somerset for his vigilance and integrity throughout an ‘intense incident’ which happened during his shift at a major London supermarket. An award for ‘Best Newcomer’ went to Barrow in Furness security officer and emergency medical technician, Paul Wilson who joined the security team at BAE Systems in August 2013, bringing his past experience as an emergency medical technician with him. Tim took action when he overheard a man in the store’s toilets attempting to take his own life. After breaking down the toilet cubicle door, Tim administered first aid to the man who had already lost a great deal of blood. Tim stayed with him until paramedics arrived and a store spokesperson said that, without him, the man would have undoubtedly died. ‘Outstanding Act’ number two was handed to Chris Fielding from Chesterfield. A Chesterfield Royal Hospital security supervisor of four years, Chris received the award as a result of his initiative and professionalism throughout a potentially dangerous and challenging incident. While on duty, Chris and a colleague were called to one of the wards where there were reports of a volatile and aggressive man. Shortly after arriving on the ward, the man managed to escape restraint, running away on several occasions and attempting to take his own life. Chris prevented this from happening each time, firstly reasoning with the man and then physically stepping in. The man switched between pleading and aggression each time and, at one point, threatened the lives of the security officers. On his last attempt, the man locked himself in a room. Unable to gain access, Chris used his torch to strike the glass repeatedly in order to be able to get his hand through it and unlock the door from the inside. Once inside, he immediately restrained the man who was then escorted by three security officers and two police constables to a holding ward. Tim Prodger accepting his Oustanding Act award In the same category, officer, Adam Murphy, was given a special commendation for his bravery in the early morning hours of September 2014. While driving to work, Adam witnessed a violent crime happening in the street involving a deadly weapon. He instinctively drove his van between the two brawlers in order to separate them. After several exchanges of the weapon and its subsequent discarding, The introduction of Securitas personnel into BAE’s existing in-house customer team was a new concept but Paul’s personal skills soon proved extremely important in not only dealing with employees in sensitive medical situations, but to ensure his integration and relationship building with the customer. In May 2014, Paul’s professionalism and attention to detail won him a Securitas Community Award for Vigilance after he identified a concern with a patient during a routine medical examination. During the patient’s subsequent recovery, his surgeon informed him he was lucky he had been diagnosed quickly with Paul’s efforts, as a delay may have resulted in a major stroke. Rounding up the grand total of five was Bristol’s Sainsbury’s Emerald Park Team who received a ‘Best Team’ award for greatly reducing damages in and around the site and receiving outstanding KPI results. The team manages the flow of traffic throughout significant gas tank installation projects, assisting in securing the site and making sure staff and visitors have the correct access cards and authorisation. The awards were announced at the BSIA’s Annual Luncheon which took place at the London Hilton Park Lane on Wednesday 15 July. The haul was, yet again, a personal best for Securitas staff, who, earlier this year, scooped a record-breaking 14 awards at the regional stages. Our officers prove time after time that they are prepared to go above and beyond in their line of duty and we’re very proud, once again of their achievements and recognition. Brian Riis Nielsen, Country President I just wanted to put on record my thanks for all the hard work you and your teams did to ensure ITV’s leaders debate was a great success. The debate is a huge event for ITV and the coverage vast, hence the amount of planning and resources we commit to the security operation to try to make sure that it passes off without incident. I am delighted to say that we all achieved this, largely due to the hard work the teams on the ground put in on the day. From momentus general elections to precious royal babies - it’s all happening at Securitas! Stuart Wynne, Security & Transport Manager (ITV North) Securitas was privileged to be appointed as security providers for some pretty special public events this year. The security firm was present at the ITV Leaders’ Debate event held at MediaCityUK in Manchester and at the Houses of Parliament during the week of the General Election. Officers were even there to welcome little Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana back home to Buckingham Palace after her birth at St Mary’s Hospital. Seventy four Securitas officers, four duty managers, a national account manager, area director and a CCTV control room supervisor worked alongside Greater Manchester Police to ensure the safety of all those who attended including, of course, the party leaders themselves. Securitas has enjoyed a long relationship with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), having provided security for high profile events such the Royal Wedding in 2011, the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and the funeral for Baroness Thatcher. This year the partnership continued with the Royal baby and The National General Election of Parliament. In the run up to the event the Securitas team attended weekly planning meetings and made recommendations on numbers and location of officers, shift times and duties. From 4.45am officers were positioned at every point of access surrounding the studio and dressing rooms, providing a visual presence as well as performing ID checks, wristband checks and searches. Welcome home Charlotte Securitas officers were stationed at the entrance to the broadcasters’ area outside of Buckingham Palace to oversee the safe homecoming of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge following her birth on 2 May. These high profile events can be challenging in their nature as, with every Royal occasion, there is always a massive public interest as well as a media frenzy to contend with. The security operation involved 10 officers being provided daily over a three-week period, with a similar number in reserve. Securitas’ primary role was to secure the EBU compounds and act as Securitas ambassadors. ITV Leaders’ Debate Members of Parliament, selected media and an invited audience of 200 were invited to sit in on the ITV Leaders’ Debate held at MediaCityUK in Manchester on 2 April and Securitas officers were on hand to manage the security arrangements. Securitas Accounts Director, Brian Brown, said: “The first few hours were particularly tense wondering how everyone would respond to being searched constantly throughout the day but people were treated courteously and greeted with a smile and numerous members of staff commented on how welcoming and humorous the officers were. “There were a small amount of protesters to deal with who seemed intent on interrupting live broadcasts throughout the day. However, the team covering the external estate worked fantastically well with the Police in ensuring that they were moved away from the broadcast area and kept as quiet as possible.” From 5pm onwards, the seven party leaders began to arrive. The teams were given prior warning of their arrival to enable them to clear the search area to allow them through as well as making sure all other areas were clear so they could enter the building, studios and dressing rooms as quickly and safely as possible. The debate itself ran smoothly with the exception of one audience member who had to be ejected. However, the studio response team dealt her with swiftly and professionally. All seven leaders had successfully left site by 11pm and then everyone was able to stand down. The week of the General Election The week of the election saw Securitas officers stationed across the river from the Houses of Parliament. Once again, the firm provided manned-guarding with the officers positioned outside a special operation for the EBU to ensure there was no entry by unauthorised personnel. As a lot of media broadcasts were filmed from the grounds during the week, officers also ensured no unofficial ‘journalists’ gained entry. OFFICER TALENT STORY Rohan’s Racket Reigns Supreme By day, Rohan Kapoor is a Securitas Everyday Hero. By night, a sporting sensation in the Badminton world! Having recently been crowned British Champion, Rohan has secured his place in the Badminton World Senior Championships. Competing in Sweden this September, he takes with him the hopes of the British public for a UK win. Starting Out After watching his father rise through the Badminton ranks as an Indian International Champion, and inspired by what he saw, Rohan picked up a racket and gave the sport a go for himself. Under the watchful eye of his father, Rohan quickly found that he had a natural talent for the game and at the age of just 11, was playing at district level, earning himself the well-deserved reputation as a ‘rising star’. Train to win My colleagues are all extremely supportive of me and are really excited for my trip to Sweden. They can’t wait to see me on TV. After making the move to the UK, Rohan continued with his hard work on the Badminton Court winning a string of British titles in the process. He now trains with the Ramgarhia Badminton Club, five days a week in an intense 3 hour training session. The main focus of the training sessions are to not only improve Rohan’s game, but to also build upon his stamina which is his defining trait. Out-playing and out-classing his opponents by a country mile. Rohan contributes his success to taking time for meditation and praying every morning to help him clear his mind and channel his positive energy into playing to the best of his ability. Sporting Heroes Apart from his Father, Rohan draws inspiration from his sporting hero Chen Long. “Its my dream to one day play Chen Long who is the current World Champion, he plays such a fast game but manages to keep his cool and stays calm under pressure.” He continues, “I’d also really like to emulate his success as well and to one day represent England at the Olympics.” So watch this space and we’ll keep you posted on Rohan’s progress as and when we get the results. #TeamRohan Integrity Award - Ian Parke These Awards offer a rare chance to bring together our customers, partners and suppliers to celebrate the achievements of our people. I’m very proud of each and every one of them. Best Team Award - The British American Tobacco Team Community Award - Trish Jones Community Awards 2015 This year’s Securitas Community Awards have taken place at the Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel and Country Club near Birmingham. The awards, which were held on 15 June, are designed to recognise the outstanding work by our employees over the past year. The award ceremony was the culmination of a number of reward schemes, based on performance and contribution to the community. Winners were announced in eleven categories throughout the evening, providing invited guests with stories of impressive acts of innovation, bravery and community initiatives. In addition, the Securitas Good Customer Award, in association with RISK UK was presented to University of Hertfordshire. This special Award is designed to reward those customers who have contributed greatly to an improvement in the standards and perception of the security industry as a whole. The evening raised £2,580 for this year’s dedicated charity, Wooden Spoon. The charity supports a whole range of projects designed to improve life for disadvantaged children and young people throughout the UK and Ireland. Another great opportunity to recognise and reward our officers who go over and above the call of duty to deliver an excellent service to our customers. Those here tonight really should be proud of their achievements and I hope this year’s awards inspire more officers to strive to be next year’s winners. Shaun Kennedy, Securitas Chief Operating Officer Brian Riis Nielsen, Country President Our Winners Our Highly Commended Outstanding Act James Edmunds Outstanding Act Peter Garbutt, David Fitzpatrick, Mike Goodburn and Richard Oliver Vigilance Richard Sillitoe Core Values Elaine McDermid Helpfulness Barry Richards Vigilance Paul Wilson Core Values Alex McMahon Helpfulness George Elliot Community Trish Jones Community David Levy Leadership Jonathan Wild and Jordan Lavin Leadership Gary Agnew and Stephen Bringhurst Integrity Ian Parke Innovation Maria Ostrowsky Safety First David Bone Best Team The British American Tobacco Team Integrity Alex Wilson Innovation Steve Fisher Safety First Anthony Morris Best Team MediaCityUK NEW Securitas Perks Scheme launched on 1 September! As a valued employee of Securitas, we’re pleased to announce the launch of ‘Securitas Perks’, your new Staff Benefits website, which has been available since 1 September 2015. Securitas Perks gives you access to a great range of discounts on: travel bookings, high street vouchers, gift cards, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities and your day to day spending. There is something for everyone and thousands of ways to save through the scheme whether you like to shop in-store or online. You can enjoy countless savings every day, including some of the key discounts and benefits shown below ✓ 5% off grocery shopping at Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and 7% off Iceland and M&S ✓ 8% off home technology at Currys and PC World ✓ Up to 10% off eating out at popular chains including Cafe Rouge, Pizza Express, Zizzi, Nando’s and Pizza Hut ✓ Up to 10% off DIY at B&Q, Homebase and Wilkinson’s ✓ Up to 17% off shopping at national leading retailers including Argos, Boots, BHS, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Matalan, H Samuel, Goldsmiths and many more household brands ✓ Up to 50% off days out and attractions at theme parks including SEALIFE, Chessington, It is FREE to sign up and is quick and easy. Just follow the instructions below: •Visit: www.securitasperks.co.uk and click on ‘join now’ •Enter your employee number (this can be found on your payslip) and surname •Enter the 4 digit security code shown in the white box •Click on ‘Create Account’ and set yourself up with a ‘username’ and ‘password’ of your choice •Usernames and passwords should be a minimum of 6 characters •Passwords can be letters only or a combination of letters and numbers if preferred Legoland and Thorpe Park ✓ Up to 10% off package holidays through our travel club on the ‘Discount holidays’ link. How to sign-up for Securitas Perks The travel team are particularly keen to prove that they can provide the best value for money, so if you find a deal which is better on another website, always call the travel team as they will aim to beat it! Spree Plus savings card special offer* This is a multi retailer pre paid MasterCard® where you can earn up to 15% cash from leading retailers such as Sainsbury’s, B&Q, Halfords, Boots plus many more. back The Spree Plus savings card is a really clever piece of plastic that lets you save money both in store and when shopping online. It is easy to check your balance and top up the card whilst you are out and about. Our mobile website means you can even top up instantly. You will earn cash back on participating retailers as you shop and the cash back loads onto your card balance each time you top up. For a limited period you can take advantage of a special offer on the Spree Plus savings card. Up to 31st October 2015 employees pay just £2.99 annual fee (usually £9.99)! Enter code SEC299 when making your application through www.securitasperks.co.uk Full details of participating retailers and cash back rates can be found at www.securitasperks.co.uk Secuitas rallies officers to assist in charity event Celebrity Chef dines with Securitas In May, Lindsay Batoryk the Peel National Account Manager was invited to lunch with Chef Marco Pierre-White. The visit was Marco’s first to his restaurant at MediaCityUK and the site of his book launch, White Heat 25. It’s a good day at work when you get to have lunch with “the godfather of modern cooking.” The Virago Star Owners’ Club (VSOC) has members worldwide who come together every year at the Club’s International Rally. The event which hosted around 500 enthusiasts, roared into Metropolitan Police Bushey Sports Club in Hertfordshire on over 400 motorcycles to enjoy the three-day festival extravaganza. Our Securitas officers were on hand overnight each day to ensure the security of members’ motorcycles, which were parked in a huge car park overnight. Frank Dunning, club member and Rally committee member, states: “The Securitas officers were absolutely brilliant. They provided so much more than just security. They were helpful, friendly and I’d like to thank them all for the great service they provided.” Fantastic job well done! Centrica Team ‘Help Nepal’ after devastating Earthquake On Wednesday 13th May; just over two weeks after the earthquake hit Nepal, the Centrica Millstream Reception team organised a fundraising event ‘HELP NEPAL’ to raise money for the relief of those affected. The earthquake has made millions of people homeless, destroying approximately 500,000 houses and damaging a further 200,000 houses. This event was led by Hem Gurung (originally from Nepal) and the Millstream Reception team, who together with the wonderful generosity of Centrica employees raised the sum of £1375.14. This money has been donated to ‘TAMU DHEE UK’ (Gurung Society UK) who are actively working towards this fundraising event. Well done to everyone involved and to all that kindly made donations to this worthy cause. Sainsbury Officer makes a splash at Swimathon Security Officer Darren Morrison completed a 1500 metre Swimathon in 46 minutes and 18 seconds, 11 minutes faster than his previous 2014 time. The Swimathon held at London Fields Lido supports the Marie Curie Cancer Care Charity to which Darren raised £426.18 for the cause. Well-done Darren, this was a fantastic accomplishment. Help Darren support MARIE Curie Cancer Care Charity by scanning this QR code to donate. A Job Well done for Port of Liverpool Officers During a surprise visit by the Port of Liverpool Police, in advance of the upcoming Department of Transportation inspection, officers Ralph Ainsley & John Riddiough assisted senior members of the port police and have been recognised for their impressive knowledge, professionalism and attitude whilst on site. Senior Port Security Office Martin Humphreys stated, “I felt that the work your staff does at Eastham ought to be highlighted and recognised. They appear to be excellent representatives of Securitas and overall port security.” Well-done gentlemen! Charity commends Security Officers for ‘Midnight Walk’ assistance Congratulations to all of our London 10K Runners Thank you all for participating in this years event. Remarkably, over 35 runners participated from all divisions of Securitas, and in only two days we were able to raise £395 for our charity Embrace! To donate or view our Charity Fundraising efforts please scan the QR code. Also, a big thank you to our events team who organised the stewards for this event. Our team of staff and stewards were able to overcome obstacles swiftly on the day so that the event ran safely and smoothly for our customer and all of the participants. St. Teresa’s Hospice would like to send a big thank to the event staff who provided security and safety solutions to their Midnight Walk on 19 June. Our dedicated team ensured that the event was safe for all participants throughout the night and have been commended on their willingness to help with anything that was needed. This event was able to raise close to £20,000 for the charity, with the helpfulness and professionalism of our officers, who really ‘made the difference.’ Great job! Don’t forget to send us your stories to [email protected] HEALTH & SAFETY Substance Abuse in the Workplace Phil Thomas Environment Health and Safety Manager Violence in the Workplace Never taken for granted, physical assault within the workplace is still the organisation’s primary risk and one which we need to continue to work to eliminate wherever possible. There is some hint of an improvement with the general trend for such workplace accidents down by over 12% compared to this point last year and further to some key progress made with refresher training, our primary retail contract is trending just below its YTD average. Set at a challenging 5% lower rate, we are nonetheless marginally shy of our violence in the workplace target for the year. The sharp increase in physical assault cases in June this year was in the main attributable to 1 incident within the NHS sector, involving 3 officers, two of whom suffered significant injury. It is worth noting that other cases in retail all involved attempted detention of suspected shoplifters, potentially contrary to officers training and procedures for handling such situations. Safety First applies to all work situations In one case our officer was found to have physically detained the suspect on the floor, an action which is neither condoned nor trained for, raising the question of positional or restraint asphyxia, as a very real hazard to those for whom we have a duty of care. Positional Asphyxia (restraint asphyxia) can be defined as obstruction of breathing as a result of restraint technique. It occurs when the position of a person’s body interferes with their ability to breath and if not recognised, death can occur from asphyxia or suffocation. Having recently revised its Substance, Drug and Alcohol Policy, the Company has recently engaged with an external organisation called Alere Toxicology to undertake testing on its behalf. Drug use, abuse, or addiction among employees and their family members can cause expensive problems for business and industry, ranging from lost productivity, absenteeism, injuries, fatalities, theft and low employee morale, to an increase in health care, legal liabilities and workers’ compensation costs Often affecting both home and work life, drug abuse can cause problems such as: Pre-existing physical conditions – any condition that impairs breathing under normal circumstances will put a person at a higher risk when they are physically restrained. Examples are heart disease, asthma, emphysema, bronchitis and other chronic lung diseases. • After-effects of substance use (withdrawal) affecting job performance Pressure on the abdomen – even a thin person will have difficulty breathing if there is pressure on the abdomen. The more security officers there are holding a person down in a prone position, the greater the risk that there will be excessive pressure on the person’s abdomen making it difficult to breathe. • Illegal activities at work including selling illegal drugs to other employees • Preoccupation with obtaining and using substances while at work, interfering with attention and concentration Alere Toxicology Alere Toxicology’s global workplace services provides a network of nine accredited laboratories in both the US and Europe, analysing millions of tests a year for pre-employment, random, ‘for cause’ and post incident testing using a range of options including innovative on-site devices and laboratory testing. Their laboratory facilities use state of the art technology and are independently accredited or certified to external standards including SAMHSA and ISO. The revised policy has been agreed with the GMB and will be issued with a new Employee Welfare Folder to be issued later this year. More information will become available later this year about the testing program which is anticipated to begin in the last quarter of 2015. • Psychological or stress-related effects due to drug use by a family member, friend or co-worker that affects another person’s job performance What prevention strategies can Security Officers use? Physical restraint should only be used when the situation clearly justifies it and there is no other option available to prevent physical harm to the person or others and for the shortest possible time with the least reasonable force. Anyone who is restrained should be under constant observation and the time spent under restraint should be minimised. Look out for further information on this subject that will be released later this year in a new Focus Topic, which will also cover the broader issues of restraint risks such as compartment syndrome. There is ample documentary evidence where techniques of restraint have been associated with sudden, unexpected deaths and security personnel should be aware of the potential dangers and take every precaution to ensure they adopt safe practice. Without appropriate training and backup, physical restraint is something that should be avoided in the vast majority of situations and officers would be well advised to consider how their actions may affect others and the consequences of failing to apply recognised procedures. What are the risk factors? If a prone position is required to achieve restraint, some people may have difficulty breathing and the following factors can contribute to positional asphyxia deaths: Physical assault Obesity – a large abdomen or ‘beer belly’ means that when the person is prone the contents of the abdomen can be forced upward under the diaphragm restricting breathing. Road traffic incident Psychosis – stimulant drugs (amphetamines, speed, ‘ICE’, ecstasy) can create an “excited delirium” in which the person is paranoid, over excited and potentially violent. The stimulation of the heart can produce cardiac rhythm disturbances which can be fatal. In this situation any difficulty breathing can result in sudden deterioration in condition and death. Another kind of incident Natural causes Hit by moving, flying or falling object Manual handling Slip, trip or fall BSIA Recognition Phil Thomas accepting the RoSPA Gold Act award July has been a busy month for awards. As reported in the last Core Values, we were delighted to receive the RoSPA Gold award for the ninth year in a row – quite an achievement and one that we will look to continue next year. What came as a surprise to the EHS team however was being awarded the BSIA Chairman’s award for contribution to the community through our partnership with RoSPA with the roll out of the Tour of Securitas safety campaign last year. We continue to work with RoSPA on a new community based project - LifeForce and will be looking to again run a similar cycle/ health and fitness based campaign in 2016. the BACK PAGE SeasonalSecrets Things to do in your garden this Autumn: It is a good time to scarify/rake and aerate your lawn to clear all the dead moss and grass litter and apply an Autumn/Winter feed to ensure a green lawn in the spring November is the ideal month to move trees, shrubs and plant hedges Prune climbing roses and rambling roses once they’ve finished flowering and tie in the stems before Autumn winds cause damage Clear up fallen rose leaves to prevent diseases such as black spot from over-wintering don’t compost the leaves. Leave the dead foliage perennial plants in place for over-wintering wildlife, cut and clear as Spring warms up Lift and divide any overcrowded herbaceous perennials whilst the soil is still warm After tidying borders, mulch with bark chips, well rotted manure or leaf mould to insulate plant roots Quiz For your chance to win an £100 Love2Shop Gift Card, simply send the missing numbers that fall on the blue squares to [email protected] with Competition as the subject. Our winner will be the first correct entry drawn after the closing date of the 6 November 2015. Good luck. *Must be employed by Securitas at time of closing date. The winner of the Summer Competition: Congratulations to Elaine Edwards on winning the iPod. BRAIN BOOSTER A milkman has 2 empty jugs: a 3 gallon jug and a 5 gallon jug. How can he measure exactly 1 gallon without wasting any milk? Look out for the solution in the next edition of Core Values. Answer to last edition’s Brain Booster: Just one, all the rest are anniversaries.