By Leon Harris
Published in INsite December
2007/January 2008
 Although
we have seen some considerable improvement in Security Risk Management
in various aged care facilities, some adverse conditions remain
which degrade efforts in crime prevention and as such should
be re-visited by management. We know that the following conditions
have assisted criminals in the past and will continue into the
future, unless serious remedial action occurs. The following
are examples:
Landscaping
External grounds of many facilities can assist criminals. Typically,
landscape design is not underscored by crime prevention principles
and allows criminals to hide without detection. Some trees and
other vegetation often interfere with lighting thus reducing
another critical aspect of crime prevention.
Lighting
Lighting is important to deter criminals and to re-assure site
users. External lighting is often designed without a thorough
understanding of the importance of lighting in crime prevention.
Incorrect illumination and lighting types are common. Very often
lighting does meet Australian Standards. Reporting of non-operational
lights is too often not reported by night staff or security patrols.
Lighting covering staff car parks, staff entry/exit doors and
security patrol walkways as well as lighting failure reporting,
should be re-assessed.
Poor and ineffective lighting can assist criminals to perpetrate
crime with little risk of detection or apprehension. It can for
some staff, create a ‘fear of crime’.
Reception Desks
In many facilities where there is a reception desk, the desks
are not positioned to maximise human surveillance of the main
entry or visitor toilets. These conditions favour criminals and
they know it.
Unattended reception areas also greatly assist criminals. If
it is not possible to re-arrange the reception area or position
someone at the times the front door is unlocked (including weekends),
consider alternative strategies such technical detection and
surveillance. Ensure your security procedures for staff address
and mitigate the risks.
Clean Utilities or Treatment Rooms
Clean Utility or Treatment Room doors left open with no staff
in attendance, sometimes medication trolleys have also been found
to be unlocked. This is more evident after administration hours.
This can lead to the risk of a resident or a child of a visitor
accessing the room to find unsecured medications or an unlocked
medication refrigerator. There are other dangers especially for
children, such as an accessible yellow (attractive colour for
children) sharps container and particularly if it is the type
where a small hand could be placed into it to investigate what
it contains.
Kitchens
Some kitchens had windows not capable of locking and/or the
refrigerators and freezers were not locked after hours. The risks
of food contamination and/or theft are evident and should be
better managed. Remedial action that should be considered includes
using more appropriate locking hardware and ensuring security
procedures are effective and audited. Consider movement activated
lighting outside.
Windows
Often windows, including residents’ rooms, are unable
to be locked either in the closed position or partially open.
Evening/night staff sometimes do not check to ensure windows
are secured. Remedial action should once again include locking
hardware and procedures.
Key Control
Key control is always an issue for concern. Master keys have
been found left on desks in opened and unattended offices, behind
doors, in jars, in unlockable desk drawers. In many facilities,
key auditing is rarely undertaken.
Some facilities are now taking advantage of technologies providing
electronic access and key issue control.
Safes
Safes in many facilities are in full view and in close proximity
of the general public (including couriers, technicians, contractors);
a particular concern when staff access them. Usually, safes are
not bolted to the floor and/or not in a secure location. It is
hard to believe but safes have been stolen from facilities.
Policies, procedures and training relating to cash handling
are frequently absent.
Wherever cash and valuables are kept, the risk of armed hold-up
is present. Armed hold-up ‘survival’ training is
rarely provided for staff and post hold-up procedures are not
articulated. Besides the personal life-safety issues, there is
a real possibility of failure in OHS compliance.
External Doors
Frequently there are too many external doors opened, particularly
at night. Usually doors have nil or ineffective access control.
Unsupervised doors are usually opened too early in the day and
too late at night increasing the risk of intrusion. The alarms
on doors are often totally inadequate.
Management should objectively consider the number and location
of accessible perimeter doors and the installation of a good
standard electronic access control system for doors, improving
security procedures (which should be appropriate for evening
and weekend periods) and the possibility of movement activated
lighting outside the doors.
Security Technology
Universally, (although improving) facilities do not take advantage
of modern security technology, in particular closed circuit (CCTV)
surveillance, electronic access control and duress alarms.
Staff who attend external residences at night often express
concern about personal safety.
Policies and Procedures
Security policies and procedures are rarely comprehensive or
relevant. They are often not complied with by staff. Many staff
claim that they are not aware of them.
Security incident reporting and defects notification is often
inadequate, inefficient and ineffective.
Contract Security
Security companies are often not engaged by a properly constructed
contract document thus missing opportunities for performance
measures and compliance management.
Security officers that either patrol or respond to incidents
are rarely ‘site trained’ which has possible consequences
of reduced effectiveness and non-compliance of OHS obligations.
Outsourcing security services does not eliminate your duty of
care obligation to the security officers. Management should consider
the Australian Standard for Guards and Patrols AS4421 as a base
requirement.
The above examples are general information only and should not
be used as a replacement for a comprehensive professional security
review. A holistic approach is required for a sound and cost-effective
security risk management.
A comprehensive list of Australian Standards that should be
obtained by facility management is available on this website.
Leon Harris DIP,SEC.STUDS,.CPP, is the principal consultant Harris Crime Prevention Services, a national specialist and independent security risk management consultancy established for the health and aged care sectors.
Phone: 1300 888 878
Email: lharris@harris.com.au
Website: www.harriscrimeprevention.com.au
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