As security and employee safety remain at risk, unpreparedness is still affecting many corporations according to the Trends in Corporate Security survey from Rave Mobile Safety. Rave, provider of critical communication and data platform solutions trusted to save lives, has released the findings before attending the ASIS International 63rd Annual Seminar and Exhibits (ASIS 2017), held in Dallas, Texas September 23-28.
Completed anonymously by 150 managers in corporate safety and security, employee safety, physical plant security, IT security and business continuity, respondents identified factors driving corporate safety and security decision making. According to the data, even with growing awareness around risks in the workplace, there is a continued unpreparedness in corporate security.
Inadequate emergency preparedness
“The results of this survey highlight the work that must still be done across corporations to better protect employees during emergencies,” said Todd Piett, President and CEO of Rave Mobile Safety. “Organisations continue to face threats from medical emergencies to weather events and prepping with emergency plans, safety technology and clear management roles appear to be clear missing pieces for our respondents.”
Unpreparedness may lie in the fact that corporations have not chosen a singular department to lead their safety procedures. According to the survey, the responsibility for business and employee safety lies with a number of different departments, with corporate security (51 percent), facility security (39 percent) and human resources (30 percent) selected most frequently by respondents. Within these departments, 28 percent of companies do not have a single person in charge of corporate security and six percent of those companies the ownership is completely unclear.
Of the current emergencies affecting |
Non-standardised emergency plans
Along with confusion over department responsibility and lack of management of safety/security programs, emergency plans are not standard amongst the respondents of the survey. Of the current emergencies affecting safety/security today, companies were most unprepared for situations involving an active shooter (25 percent). Emergency plans were also not standard for medical emergencies (18 percent), natural disasters (12 percent) and fires (8 percent).
Employee safety and security awareness
More than half of respondents revealed that employee awareness and training (58 percent) as their biggest safety/security challenge. Even further, smaller companies (2500 or fewer employees) indicated a higher instance of this challenge, with 71 percent indicating employee awareness and training as their biggest challenge.
In the area of communication technology, mass notification was still not adopted by 21 percent of respondents. Companies are also failing to utilise multiple methods of communication during emergencies. Email (21 percent), text (20 percent), voice calls (21 percent), building alarms (20 percent) and social media (65 percent) are currently not being utilized by respondents as a form of communication during emergencies.
The complete findings from the Trends in Corporate Security survey, including details on the management of safety/security, past and present impact on security/safety and the technology being used to assist emergency situations will be revealed during the ASIS International 63rd Annual Seminar and Exhibits (ASIS 2017), held in Dallas, Texas.
