​BUSINESS NEWS

Industrial accidents are frequently preventable but two independent studies reveal that an unwillingness to talk about safety problems is a major barrier to creating safer workplaces.

The RAD Group surveyed more than 2,600 employees in 14 countries, mostly in the oil and gas industry. They learned that employees speak up only 39 percent of the time when they observe unsafe practices. Even when they do intervene, the unsafe action or condition persists 20 percent of the time.

A study by VitalSmarts discovered similar attitudes among the more than 1,600 employees it questioned. Only about 25 percent of respondents had spoken up about observed unsafe practices. They cited tight deadlines, incompetence, exceptions to safety practices, disregard of rules deemed excessive, and being a team player as reasons to keep quiet.

The companies that sponsored the two surveys believe that creating a culture of safety could make a difference and suggest that training employees to speak out is crucial.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2009 more than 4,500 people were killed on the job (less than 20 percent due to violence) and more than four million were injured.

PARTNERSHIPS AND DEALS

AlliedBarton Security Services has named D3 Security Management Systems as a new technology partner.

Megapixel cameras from Arecont Vision are being used by FST21 for its SafeRise identity management systems.

Asset Intelligence has executed a contract with Buchanan Hauling and Rigging, Inc., to deploy its VeriWise Track & Trace asset management system for Buchanan’s flatbed trailers.

CNL Software and the Global Healthcare Practice of Ingersoll-Rand plc have entered into a technology agreement. Ingersoll-Rand will license a private-label version of CNL’s IP Security Center platform.

Contemporary Services Corporation is providing services for U2’s 2011 North American Tour in several cities.

Technology from Fluidmesh Networks, Inc., is part of a security system protecting Garonor buildings in France. Video Engineering-managed the project.

HR Plus is collaborating with Inquiries Inc. to perform fingerprint history checks for employment screening.

E.ON Benelux has deployed IP video technology from IndigoVision at two electricity generating stations.

Inovonics and Optex have implemented a wireless security system for a water treatment facility owned by Aqua Water Supply.

Kuty & Associates redesigned Team Software’s Web site.

Motorola Solutions and Salamander Technologies are combining their technologies to create an identity verification and accountability solution.

NICE Systems is providing risk, fraud, and money laundering solutions to the Bank of Ireland.

Omnitrol Networks has partnered with TRiDENT RFID to supply Firstlight Foods with a solution that tracks venison and beef production and provides pedigree traceability.

OSS, Inc., will provide security guard services for Graystone Properties in Cleveland.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association and CargoNet have established a strategic alliance to combat cargo theft in the retail industry.

A TagMaster North America system is providing secure access to the Reforma 222 parking garage in Mexico City for Grupo Danhos.

TOA is supplying an emergency voice evacuation and audio system to Headingley Stadium in Great Britain.

Cameras from Toshiba are protecting multiple locations of Bernick’s Beverages & Vending following a surveillance upgrade by Minco, Inc.

WISeKey technology is protecting luxury brands including Hublot, Dior, and Chris & Cris.

Yale Locks & Hardware announced that its Real Living locks will integrate with the Alarm.com emPower home automation and energy management solution.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

Business Controls, Inc., has signed two contracts with the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing to train investigators on best practices in interview and interrogation techniques.

CBC (Europe) has supplied a Ganz Radar Vision tracking and surveillance early-warning detection system to protect Porto Airport in northern Portugal.

Desktop Alert Inc. is supplying mass notification and messaging systems to U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. National Guard locations across the country.

Diebold, Incorporated, is implementing advanced security solutions at the new World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York City.

Hirsch Electronics has delivered an access control solution to the Lee housing project, which was developed by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and
Common Ground.

The U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, will deploy a suite of public safety and security software from Intergraph Government Solutions.

JVC Professional Products Company has supplied cameras and recorders for a surveillance upgrade at Plano Independent School District in Texas.

System Development Integration, LLC, has delivered a turnkey digital video management system to the Peel Regional Police Department in Canada. The prime contractor was EMC, and local partners Safe Controls, Inc., and Cable Ready Systems, Inc., also participated in the project.

The Addison Police Department in Texas is using video analytics from Stealth Monitoring Inc. to improve situational awareness and save time in responding to incidents.

AWARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS

ADT Commercial Security earned Platinum certification in Honeywell’s Dealer Service Certification Program. Berk-Tek was given a Graybar Supplier Excellence Award.

CGI was recognized by the Pike County Chamber of Commerce in Alabama as the 2011 Chamber Business of the Year.

The MP5000 towable, portable barrier from Delta Scientific successfully passed independent lab testing for crash resistance.

The Mineta Transportation Institute won the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Impact Award for 2010.

Mulligan Security of New York City announced that its security services have been designated a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology under the SAFETY Act.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Agilence, Inc., has purchased the assets of Vidient Systems, Inc., and will offer new applications for transportation and retail industries.

Allied Telesis has launched a global education and certification program for the physical security industry.
 
Dallmeier assisted in making the movie Unknown, starring Liam Neeson, by helping create the set of a hotel security control center and providing state-of-the-art surveillance equipment.

Veterans and others eligible for Montgomery GI Bill benefits can now use those funds to cover costs of the Electronic System Professional Alliance (ESPA) Certified-EST exam. The European Network and Information Security Agency has published Main Challenges and Recommendations on Network and Service Resilience Metrics, a report that points to a lack of standards in measuring IT resilience and other challenges.

Verisk Analytics is developing and will manage LERPnet 2.0, an enhanced version of the Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network that promotes information sharing to combat retail crime. The program originated in 2007 through a collaboration among the Food Marketing Institute, the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and the FBI.

MITIE has opened a new high-tech security hub in Craigavon, Northern Ireland.

Morpho Detection, Inc., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Syagen Technology, Inc., to enhance its explosives detection offerings.

The National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc., has released the 2011 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet, available at www.workplaceviolence911.com.

Mike O’Neill of Greymans and Professor Martin Gill of Perpetuity Consultancy have formed Optimal Risk Group, a new risk and security consultancy.

Sandia National Laboratories has developed a simulation and analysis program that helps decision makers make procurement and funding choices. The Borders High Level Model is based on a gaming platform and was funded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Securitas Security Services USA, Inc., has introduced Securitas USA Online University, a learning platform that fosters management development.

Senstar Incorporated has joined the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates.

ASIS NEWS

Code of Conduct Standard in Development
ASIS International has conducted the first Technical Committee meeting for the development of an American National Standard to support the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC). The ASIS.PSC I: Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations—Requirements with Guidance Standard will provide a mechanism for private security companies and their clients to provide demonstrable commitment, conformance, and accountability to the principles outlined in the ICoC.

Composed of over 200 members from 24 countries, the technical committee includes a balance of clients, service providers, and nongovernmental and rights groups from the public and private sector.

“This remarkable international effort demonstrates the importance of this industry sector around the globe. It brings together disparate interested parties to assure quality of services provided by private security companies while maintaining the safety and security of their operations within a framework that ensures respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” says Dr. Marc Siegel, commissioner of the ASIS International Global Standards Initiative and chair of the Technical Committee.

Private security product and service providers have become critical elements for supporting peace and stability efforts in regions where the capacity of societal institutions have become overwhelmed by disruptive events, whether caused by nature or people. Private security companies operating in areas of weakened governance need to provide essential services and to conduct their business with due diligence to prevent incidents, mitigate the consequences of incidents, report them when they occur, and take both preventative and corrective actions.

The ASIS PSC.01 Standard will provide the principles and requirements for a quality assurance management system for private sector security organizations to abide by and demonstrate accountability to internationally recognized norms of civil and human rights while providing quality assurance in the provision of their products and services. It will provide auditable requirements based on the “plan-do-check-act” model for third-party certification. By following the proven ISO model for management system standards, security companies will be able to integrate this standard with their management system approaches and focus efforts to better manage their risk and prevent the occurrence of undesirable events.

“The standard will raise the bar for industry best practices consistent with the goal of simultaneously promoting stability and respect for human and civil rights,” says Siegel. “The standard will provide clear benchmarks for assuring accountability and improvement of performance and will serve as a differentiator for companies that provide quality services and products. A growing use of contract services by governments and companies around the globe needs an international initiative like this to set the standards of quality and ethical services.”

European Security Conference a Hit
ASIS International 10th European Security Conference was on April 3-6 in Vienna, Austria. The event gathered approximately 360 senior security managers from 44 countries.

The conference was opened by keynoter Michal Moroz, deputy minister of the Interior of the Czech Republic, who outlined the Czech Government’s plans to combat corruption. On the second day, the keynote came from Hugh McLeod, MBE, chief operating officer of Stirling Assynt. He explained the geopolitics of the recent Arab uprisings. The third day’s keynote speaker was Brigadier Ian Abbott, OBE, independent member of the Thames Valley Police Authority, who elaborated on the need for public-private partnerships in protecting critical infrastructure.

The conference featured 36 high-level educational sessions provided by speakers that included Rolf Rosenvinge, CSO of GE Global Banking Nordics, who spoke on industrial espionage; Dr. Christoph Rojahn, senior manager of forensic and dispute services for Deloitte AG, who discussed organized crime; and Dr. Henriette Haas, associate professor of forensic psychology at the University of Zurich, who spoke on de-escalation skills.

In addition, sessions designed especially for CSOs were organized by the ASIS CSO Roundtable, which is the ASIS forum for the most senior security professionals from the largest and most influential enterprises in the world.

The conference also featured an exhibition hall of security product and service providers.