Amthal is working closely with Facility Managers, to ensure systems and procedures are in place for the continued safety of all personnel, alongside the fire safety and security of a company building and its assets.
Currently, with new reports already suggesting an increase in attempted burglaries during lockdown, there is a strengthened need for fire safety and security measures that include efficient procedures and systems, all designed to reduce the risk of danger, enhance functionality, effectiveness and present an ability to respond quickly.
Fire Safety
Facility Managers are under pressure to quickly lockdown buildings and offices, or as close to, should assess a susceptibility to arson and produce a specific risk assessment covering areas such as waste collection, access to the building, who might be coming and going, removing ignition sources etc.
Fire alarms, physical security, inspections etc should all form part of any risk assessment and will continue by approved critical workers such as Amthal. Leading industry bodies such as BAFE and Fire Industry Association (FIA) has updated guidance on installation, service and maintenance requirements on and obligations on premises management.
Smart Security
Physical security risk assessments involve the likely level, frequency and severity of threat to the security and safety to premises.
For the more advanced or larger buildings, such security solutions can be developed in an all-encompassing flexible and intelligent building automation system (BAS), where building owners can realise a lower upfront investment for a considerably more powerful security solution.
Today’s access control, intruder alarm systems and CCTV / video surveillance systems work together to provide a holistic solution, keeping intruders away from property, limiting access to facilities that house expensive equipment, and critically, remotely monitoring secluded areas to reduce the risk of crime.
This way, by using CCTV and visual verification as part of an overall security solution, security staff at a central monitoring station can view live images from surveillance cameras, control pan-tilt-zoom cameras, or search for video clips stored on networked video recorders (NVRs).
Likewise, smart CCTV cameras can be integrated with security lighting measures to extend their ability to proactively reduce the risk of a crime-taking place, as there will be more chance of being caught, and this can extend to communal and parking areas. Facility Managers and Security Officers can remotely pinpoint when and where to intervene to thwart an attack.
And in most cases, facilities and security teams can make the call based on real time data, deciding whether or not there is a requirement to summon Police or take other security measures, or indeed deactivate direct from a mobile phone or tablet.
As an approved critical worker, Amthal can support Facility Managers to differentiate between the functionality actually required in access control, intruder and CCTV / video surveillance against the significant cost savings that can be achieved to achieve a safe and secure lockdown, in line with Government guidelines.
So, when it comes to ensuring the continued safety and security for personal, together with building and protection of assets, the unpredictable environment means Facility Managers need to work together with suppliers who understand their business and can respond quickly.
It takes the careful planning of physical fire and security and when this is combined with use of smart integrated technology, it can create a protected environment that can be maintained and monitored safely and remotely, even if it is left largely empty for any (currently uncertain) length of time.
Read the full article in Tomorrow’s FM, April 2020.