How safe is your office in a post-9/11 world? - Up Front

If things were lax around the office before September 11, a new study shows that employers and employees are taking office security much more seriously now. The survey, sponsored by The Hartford Financial Services Group, shows that fewer unauthorized visitors are entering the workplace than in 2001. The survey, conducted between December 2001 and July 2002, indicated that the number of unauthorized visitors dropped to 13 percent, down from a previous 32 percent. Also, there was a rise in the number of visitors who were screened: 60 percent, an increase of 9 percent.

Security measures for handling suspicious mail or packages rose to 49 percent in December, up from a mere 17 percent before September 11. Companies also put the emphasis on evacuation plans; 60 percent reported that they held regular evacuation drills, a rise of 4 percent over the previous study year.

Richard Vaughan, director of loss control technical services at The Hartford says, "The drop in unauthorized visitors is clearly a sign that businesses are taking security seriously. At the same time, the survey shows that while businesses have made a good start in securing their work sites, many need to be more consistent in their follow-through."

Indeed, only 58 percent of companies that had security measures in place reported that the measures are consistently enforced.

Smaller companies are much more negligent with their procedures, the report concluded. Smaller businesses were implementing screening procedures only 40 percent of the time compared to their larger business counterparts. In fact, only 34 percent of smaller companies had screening procedures for suspicious packages and mail. Only 45 percent of smaller organizations hold emergency evacuation drills.

"Small businesses may take fewer safety measures because they don't have enough time or resources to devote to that task," says Vaughan. "They also may feel less threatened because they know their employees and, often times, their customer, as well. But they have just as much a need as large business to protect their assets and employees."

COPYRIGHT 2002 Axon Group
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