Protecting your staff, customers and business in the time of COVID – what SME’s need to consider.
It doesn’t take a security expert to see that we are living in times of heightened tensions in our community. There is a small but very vocal segment of our society that is unhappy with the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccine mandates and public health measures such as the wearing of face masks. There have been several news reports recently, both in NZ and other Western democracies, showing confrontations that have swiftly escalated to become aggressive and violent towards those who are enforcing the rules. Examples include:
The arrest of a woman at a Rotorua restaurant, when she refused to show a vaccine passport then would not leave when asked, in an incident staff believed was a “planned stunt”.[1]
Over 100 arrests were made and businesses forced to close after ‘Freedom protests’ at Parliament in Wellington.[2],[3]
Tasman District Council staff were forced to retreat to a safe room after anti vaccine pass protesters entered their office, demonstrating increasing levels of anti-social behaviour.[4]
Frighteningly, a German cashier was fatally shot after insisting a customer put on a face mask.[5]
Aside from these well-publicised incidents, there have been other reports of an increase in retail staff being abused and attacked throughout New Zealand.[6] Even my small local gym has a sign at reception reminding clients that aggressive behaviour towards staff will not be tolerated.
There is a realistic possibility that the continuing pandemic, and the possible impact on our economy and society that may follow, may increase the threat level from disaffected members of the public. There is already evidence as noted above of a reduction in compliance during extended restrictions; protest action, both lawful and unlawful; and disruption and disgruntlement amongst parts of our community of five million. Coupled with greater instability, uncertainty of the future and economic pressures this may overstretch our already busy health, security and other essential workers.
This is a relatively new situation for NZ. Many large organisations are responding by increasing visible protective measures such as security guards. However Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and public and community institutions simply do not have the resources to do this, particularly in the current inflationary environment, while they are still recovering from the wider economic implications of the pandemic.
So, what's the solution?
Here are a few tips that can be employed to help protect your staff and customers from this heightened threat environment and reduce the risk of harm.
Assess the Threats and Risks
Before risk mitigations can be considered, the level of threat to staff, other customers and the general public must be identified and the risks quantified. We consider there are three key commonplace situations:
1. Customers who are simply not aware of the rules.
For customers who are simply not aware of the rules, a polite reminder of the requirement for a face mask and/or vaccine pass can normally resolve this and there is generally a low risk of harm to others.
2. Customers who disagree with the rules and refuse to comply.
Whilst the threat of an incident when customers disagree with the rules and refuse to comply is opportunistic in nature, the reaction of these disgruntled individuals can be unpredictable. This scenario has the potential to become very serious with a high risk of harm to others.
3. Intentional protest action.
Protesters, acting either alone or in groups, disregard the rules. Their aim is to draw attention to their dissatisfaction with the requirements levied on them. Protest action is generally planned, and escalation of the threat typically (but not always) ramps up in a predictable manner, sometimes very quickly. In most situations, the risk of harm in this scenario is moderate, however there is a very real risk of escalation leading to a high risk of harm to others.
Introduce Mitigations.
Once the potential threats are identified, there are a number of mitigating actions that can be taken to reduce the risk of harm to you, your staff and customers, which can be conveniently remembered using the acronym ‘SAFER’.
Signs - The first step in mitigating the risk of harm is to ensure clear communication. Signs stating entry requirements need to be prominently displayed and clearly visible before customers enter your premises. Official signs can be obtained from the NZ Government COVID19 website, and can be supplemented with your own if desired. This simple step will provide significant mitigation against the risk of someone entering your premises without knowing the requirements, and may also act to deter those who disagree with the rules from entering. Further, by increasing general compliance, malicious non-compliance becomes easier to detect.
Away - If an incident is going to occur, it is better for it to occur outside you premises, away from your customers and staff. This gives you the option to physically lock threating individual(s) outside, protecting your staff and customers inside. If possible, conduct your scanning, vaccine pass and mask checks outside, before customers enter. These compliance checks should be done in a friendly and non-threatening way, and may be as simple as someone greeting customers, reminding them to scan the QR code and politely requesting a face mask be worn when required.
Familiarity - Maintaining familiarity of your environment and awareness of what is going on in and around your premises is important. This may include maintaining visibility of the entrance to your premises (either physically or by camera) and ensuring the layout, such as tall shelves, doesn’t introduce blind spots. By having a good understanding of what is “normal” in your context and having good situational awareness of your space, you are more likely to quickly spot anything “abnormal”. This gives you more time to determine if the “abnormal” potentially poses a risk, which gives you more time to react and respond. Ensure this responsibility is clearly delegated to a key person / people, to avoid staff getting busy and neglecting to maintain a base level of awareness.
Exercise your Response - While the tips above should help reduce the risk of an incident, you may not be able to avoid an incident occurring. For example, protestors may initially disguise their intentions in an attempt to bypass detection until they are in a position to produce maximum disruptive effect. If an incident were to occur, you need to be prepared. This not only includes producing a plan, but also practicing your response. Just as you need to have an evacuation plan and fire drills before your premises is full of smoke, it is important to be prepared for a potential security incident in advance. In times of significant stress even simple decisions can become difficult, so ensuring all your staff are familiar with the plans will increase the likelihood of success if there is a real incident.
Plan a response
Although the most appropriate response for any given situation will be unique, as with Fire and Earthquake Drills, familiarity with a simple routine is key. A simple rule of thumb is to use the “Four Ls”.
Levels - Security incidents occur on varying levels (relative to the risk of harm, from minor through to major), and proportionate responses can be planned for these varying levels. For example, a brief verbal altercation between a staff member and a passer-by outside may have a low risk of harm and no response may be required, however a highly aggressive customer tipping over shelves and throwing items at staff represents a high risk of harm and requires an immediate and drastic response. Understanding the different levels of threat and applying an appropriate and proportionate response reduces the chances of over- or under-reacting to the situation. It should also be noted, of course, that as the situation escalates or de-escalates over the course of an incident, the risk level and required response may also change. As with any business risks, businesses should consider the potential scenarios that may apply to them, and design proportionate responses that can be easily understood and implemented by staff.
Lockdown - Having the capability to lock your premises down may provide the ability to keep a threat outside and enable staff and customers to remain protected inside. This may be as simple as a mechanical lock on the main entrance, or take the form of a remote-lock button at the front counter. The quicker a lockdown can be implemented, the higher the chance it has of successfully keeping that threat out. However, when designing a lockdown process, be mindful that you don’t inadvertently create a situation where staff and customers cannot safely retreat, should the threat find its way inside.
Leave - If the threat makes it way inside, onto your business premises, providing a safe retreat may be key to ensuring staff and customers are not harmed. This may be as simple as being able to leave the premises via a rear door or delivery entrance, or taking refuge in the staff room. It is important to ensure that an escape route can be accessed quickly (you don’t want to have to hunt for the back door key) and that a safe refuge has more than one access point to avoid getting trapped. It’s key to make sure all staff are aware of their safe route.
Layers - Include the use of security layers or zones at your location. These can change and align to different security ‘levels’ as needed; are important during a ‘lockdown’ to designate safe areas and the safe egress routes under ‘leave’. A layered approach is a key tenet of protective security.
In summary, you are the one who knows your business and environment the best, so we encourage you to adapt and modify the concepts above to suit your own requirements. However, in the current environment, it’s crucial that security planning begins to be embedded in NZ business operations, and is given the same prominence as things like fire drills and IT password security. So remember to stay 'SAFER', and plan and practice the 'Four Ls'. Whilst we hope this article has given you some ideas and the confidence to enhance your protective security in the COVID-19 world, it is not exhaustive, and it is always important to be prepared for the unexpected.
Follow ICARAS on LinkedIn for the next in this series on protective security covering de-escalation of security incidents.
[1] https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/anti-mandate-protester-arrested-at-tamati-coffeys-rotorua-restaurant/OXSD4BIH424AAOMQDKMHHLNRY4/
[2] https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/127723043/protest-forces-businesses-around-parliament-to-close
[3] https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127729935/police-arrest-122-parliament-trespassers-warn-removal-will-take-some-time
[4] https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127475352/council-staff-retreat-to-back-room-as-aggressive-protesters-enter-office
[5] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/21/petrol-station-worker-killed-in-germany-after-face-mask-row
[6] https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300458464/incredibly-traumatising-time-for-workers-going-facetoface-with-covid-protesters