Hopefully, contingency plans have been put in place and companies are already well-prepared now that the second wave of Covid-19 is unfolding, with much expectation and speculation all summer that it indeed would.
However, if you find yourself not as prepared for the second wave as you would have liked, here are some quick actions to consider right now:
- Review the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) for your security guards. PPE refers to safety masks, safety goggles or face shields used in conjunction with masks, disposable nitrile gloves, and alcohol-based hand sanitisers with greater than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol as active ingredients. Of course, one of the most effective ways for guards to protect themselves is by practising good hand washing hygiene (optimally every 20 minutes for 20 seconds).
- Install Perspex glass or Plexiglass for guards who have frequent contact with the general public. Floor markings and directional arrows should also be used, as well as designated doors for entering and exiting buildings. Minimising any risk to the health and safety of guards while on the job is paramount if you are going to survive the second wave. If your security workforce management software includes GPS tracking and geo-fencing, you can track the movements of your guards to ensure guard safety for those employees who are at a client site.
- Plan for supervisors or security ops who may not be able to obtain childcare and cannot be onsite by ensuring they have all the necessary IT equipment and software systems they need so they can work from home. A truly reliable cloud-based workforce management system equipped with real-time notifications would be essential in these situations.
- Consider transitioning some of the workforce to mobile patrol units, or increasing the number of current patrols. It might also be a good time to spend time with your clients to identify incident patterns and tailor your patrols to deal with them. With the recent news that pubs and bars will be closing their doors earlier, security will need to be increased to respond to potential incidents involving binge drinking and disgruntled patrons. Depending on the extent and length of the new restrictions, shuttered business parks, schools, and shopping centers will also still need security.
- Through an online customer portal, you can ensure that your clients are kept up to date in real-time with incidents, status of alarm call outs, and have access to digitised Daily Occurrence Books or Daily Site Reports and valuable site incident analytics – all while working from home.
- Security companies can also ensure guards are up to date on the latest Covid-19 protocols through site specific documentation (Post Orders). Companies can keep track of who has read the documentation through an acknowledgement process. As restrictions are tightened or loosened and documentation is updated, guards are obliged to reacknowledge the documents.
It’s never too late to invest in a solid and truly cloud security workforce management system to give greater insight into your static and mobile operations and streamline your reporting, rostering, contracting and invoicing. Unfortunately, we have all been down this road before, but hopefully by taking fast action now security service companies will be more readily prepared for the second wave than was the case during the initial wave of Covid-19.
About TrackTik
TrackTik was founded in 2013 and quickly established itself as a market leader with the mission to build better software so its clients can run smarter businesses. TrackTik’s AI-driven technology enables security organizations to connect frontline staff, back office management, and their clients to drive improved operational efficiency and data insights. TrackTik helps security professionals make automated, data-driven decisions with its cloud-based seamless approach to system connectivity. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with offices in the United Kingdom and Europe, TrackTik offers four integrated suites of tools – Security Operations for Guarding, Back Office Management, Mobile Patrol and Dispatch, and Business Intelligence & Reporting Analytics, to help security service companies follow the progression of guards, reduce manual tasks, lower costs, and demonstrate value.