After the horrific events in Barcelona as well as similar events throughout the year in the UK and across Europe NaCTSO have produced a briefing for businesses to protect employees and customers and ensure safe practice. 

The terror threat level in the UK remains at Severe (at the time of writing), the implications of this assessment being brought about because of the above mentioned incidences, leading to such advisory notices to ensure that businesses and the general public can continue to go about their daily lives and contribute to a safe environment.

Richard Harding, Head of NaCTSO, reminds us that all emergency and health services work alongside national and local government to provide robust responses to terror threats and that they regularly carry out and test emergency plans to ensure their responses are effective in dealing with the evolving threats faced.

He points out that, for businesses to contribute to an effective national and local coordinated effort to minimise public risk, it is important to maintain regular risk management processes and to “review risk assessments, contingency plans, and testing and exercising regimes”. In particular he identifies a number of areas to consider:

1. How you can work with your neighbours to increase the effectiveness and coordination of any protective security activities you are individually engaged in to ensure you maximise your joint investment in these activities
2. How you identify and report suspicious behaviour and transactions
3. How you would identify and respond to a chemical related incident of any kind
4. How you respond to suspicious items: https://act.campaign.gov.uk/
5.  How you manage, deploy and co-ordinate evacuation, invacuation, and lock down procedures to meet a range of potential threats.

Further advice for personal security comes from Clive Johnson (Group Head of Health, Safety and Security) of Landsec:

• If possible, walk in the opposite direction of the traffic to ‘buy yourself’ a precious second or two to jump in to a shop entrance if you see a vehicle heading in your direction
• Walk along the building line of the pavement (the side furthest from the kerb) to increase your reaction time
• Walk as close to the building as you can to stay as far away as possible from the road
• Be mindful of screeching car tyres as this may indicate a vehicle is accelerating heavily or swerving harshly
• Be alert to the sound of vehicle engines revving aggressively as this may indicate a vehicle is accelerating rapidly
• Where possible choose not to listen to music devices when walking so your senses remain heightened

Further information, including videos, on personal safety can be found at the gov.uk website here.

For more information contact Cardinus Risk Management on [email protected] or call 0207 469 0200.