Security Issues
Security encompasses areas such as security of the property itself, company assets, employees' and customers' personal belongings and valuables, life security, personal security, and job security (not covered here because this latter relates to income security), among others.
Let us take one "security example" related to employees' personal belongings and valuables in a hotel environment:
In all workplaces management stipulates that it is not responsible for valuables and employees personal belongings (their handbags, items kept in the personal lockers). Yet management must take all possible measures to prevent theft among employees and of employee belongings through its hiring practices and through the implementation of effective management, human resources and operational policies, such as:
• Background checks of selected applicants
• Policies related to employees' entry to, and exit from, the workplace
• Spot checks of locker rooms and lockers
• Effective supervision and control during the work cycle
• Policies related to the discovery of criminal records and wrongdoing among, and by, employees
• Control of people entering and exiting the workplace
With regard to guest valuables, management informs guests that the hotel is not responsible for valuables left in the room, advising them to secure these in safety deposit boxes provided by the hotel. Besides taking care of security issues related to the people they employ (as outlined above), management must undertake some necessary measures, among which:
• Providing "secure" (safety) deposit boxes and areas to keep valuables
• Policies and practices to ensure the security of these boxes and areas
• Management and operational policies regarding the security of guest rooms
• Management and operational policies regarding the security of public areas
• Security policies and practices for the back-of-the-house areas
• Employment and training of security personnel
• Policies and practices to minimize the "presence" and "patronage" of "shady characters" and criminals, verification of registration and check-in personal data and documentation submitted, and curtailing free movement of unknowns on the premises, as well as direct, free flowing communication with local, national and international security authorities)
• Training of staff in guest and valuable security
• Effective supervision and control procedures.
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• The common law principle of 'duty of care' requires that each person takes reasonable care to avoid causing harm to other people.
• In the workplace, employers must take reasonable care for the health and safety of their employees. Employees must take reasonable care to protect their own health and safety and the health and safety of others who may be affected by their actions.
• In providing a safe system of work, the provision of standard operating procedures is important. SOP’s are written documents developed in consultation with employees that set out the ways in which a particular work task must be performed or the way a specific piece of plant must be used to ensure the health and safety of workers.
• The regular review of SOP’s is important. This will ensure that amendments are made to take into account changes in plant (new or modifications), changes in the way a task is performed or where the SOP is shown to be inadequate as a result of a near miss, work incident or an incident involving injury.
