Updating Security Guard Force Business Continuity Plans
There is an undeniable need for continuity when it comes to how COVID-19 affects any line of business. Even with vaccinations and proper measures to avoid infection, this is a serious issue that is still affecting thousands of people worldwide.
There is need for a reliable and update plan for security guard forces. The best way to handle this is to ensure that proper continuity plans remain relevant.
A continuity plan is a strategy that means to help companies keep their business going if a disruption occurs. In this case, that disruption would be a COVID-19 outbreak within the organization. An issue that could easily turn into a very complex situation for the financial health of a company.
COVID-19 knowns no ranks or company status
Perhaps the biggest danger during a pandemic is the incredibly random occurrence of infections. The virus does not discriminate or choose targets based on vulnerability. This alone makes the process of deciding the best approach very difficult.
Security companies are used to assessing the different degrees of danger that come from the threats they face. COVID-19 creates a completely new and complex situation. One that could affect any employee at any level.
Security guard training is always a useful thing. With that said, when the security threat talks place in this scenario, there is no training that can contain it. This means that any employee that is suffering from COVID should not show up to the workplace. With that said, the safety measures should be 99% towards the prevention of the spread before the employee shows signs of sickness.
How to handle a the work environment during the pandemic
We all expected this pandemic to be an issue of the past when authorities announced vaccination. The problem is that even with vaccines, hospitalizations and deaths are still a possibility. One that is less likely, but still one that concerns the entire world.
The purpose of this publication is not to speculate on what those percentages are or to talk about how effective the vaccine may or may not be. The purpose is to remind business owners that this is an ongoing problem. One that we have yet to call an issue of the past and one that may linger for a much longer period than expected.
Once the pandemic is over, retuning to a normal way of life may easily involve changes that people call a “new normal”. This remains unknown as we head into a new decade that relies in technology in many different ways.
The standard safety measures and their reinforcement
The use of masks, hands sanitizers, and infrared thermometers should continue to be constant within any organization. This should be the case regardless of the current condition within the organization. Any company that stops enforcing those measures is going to create a vulnerability that is unnecessary within their organization.
Once an employee shows signs of having any form of flu like symptoms, everything changes. They should immediately report to their superiors and get tested. If the results of the test come back negative, the recommendation is for the employee stay home to recover. This is essential, as there are instances when COVID-19 tests will come out as negative. This happens even when a person ends up with an infection caused by the virus.
If a person is tested and comes out positive, the protocols require that all people who worked near that individual are vigilant to any symptoms and that they reinforce basic measures. It is essential that all employees are working under the same guideline and this of course includes any security services for a facility.
Security company services and COVID-19
A security company is responsible for the assurance that their employees will take all proper safety measures. This means that their ability to maintain all protocols is going to play a major role in the safety of the employees of the companies that hire those security services.
This is one of the reasons why it is essential for any security company to train their employees on COVID-19. The process of being a good security officer expands to the importance of protection against vial threats. With that said, this is in no way an indicator that security guard training forces security company services to guarantee safety against COVID-19.
No company or individual in any field, not even in the field of security could ever guarantee that there will be protection against this virus or any viral threat. This is completely out of the control of any person or business. The responsibilities of a security company are equal to those of any business or individual in any industry.
This means that everyone should be wearing masks and sanitizing their hands whenever it is required. The issues of vaccination is also a very difficult topic that is not up for debate in this publication. This is an issue that is going to depend on many factors and how companies decide to handle vaccination within their organization.
Vaccinated or not, every employee that works for a security company should maintain the level of safety that is going to ensure the best protection possible. There are no guarantees that any safety measure will keep people from catching a COVID infection. The reduction of that possibility is an undeniable benefit of wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and keeping your hands sanitized.
Final thoughts
All security officer jobs that are offered within a security company should always consider the value of these safety measures. There is no way of telling how long it will take for this pande3mic to end, but it is very clear that we need to learn to adapt to the situation.
The sooner we are able to do that, the easier it will be for all of us to handle this situation. This global problem affects every industry without any discrimination.
By Joseph Sordi, Chief Executive Officer
Strategic Security Corp.
