01 Nov What does a security consulting company do?

The installation of security systems will be different depending on the type of property we have to protect. Protection in a residential space is not the same as in an explosive warehouse. The risks and security are much higher in a critical installation than in other types of buildings.

It will also be different the level of previous engineering that we need for a complex installation in an industrial space, as well as the response of the alarm receiving center.

In any of the cases, Spanish legislation establishes in Article 42 Royal Decree 2364/1994, of December 9, which approves the Private Security Regulation, that “if the security installation to be carried out is connected to a central receiver of alarms, the realization of an installation project is required, with levels of coverage adequate to the architectural characteristics of the place and the risk to be covered ”.

For these facilities we need a company that offers guarantees of their experience and for their preparation in emergencies.

On the other hand, the planning of the safety installation is also important. For this, the engineering and prior consulting phases are indispensable. In an industrial safety installation we have to take into account the characteristics of the installation environment: the legislation of the country and its level of risk, the weather, the nature surrounding the installation, etc.

We also have to take into account the type of industry to protect to choose a specialized company. If we have to protect a photovoltaic plant, which is a very complex installation from the point of view of security, we cannot call anyone. They are isolated and normally unattended places, with a wide perimeter to protect and with a very high level of attempted theft. The perimeter protection of these facilities must be adequately designed and the response of the alarm receiving center must be clear and with a management capacity to classify the alarms received very quickly.

The challenges of industrial Security: keys to succeed

Industrial Security is a complex and changing environment. The security criteria in other less demanding locations such as homes or small businesses are not valid.

When we talk about industrial security, we refer to the protection of large spaces for industrial use, which have a high economic value and whose safety is critical to avoid significant damage to facilities and people. Aspects such as the risk of fire or explosion come together in a power plant, the need to protect a facility that cannot stop working at any time and damage that can be very large.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PERIMETER PROTECTION

When we have to protect the outer perimeter of an extensive surface where there are many points of possible access, and where any intrusion can be a real disaster, we have to choose a leader in its sector, which is capable of designing a security system specific for that installation.

The difficulties of perimeter protection are: being able to make a reliable detection, using the appropriate equipment for possible weather conditions, the nature of the perimeter – trees, branches, animals … -, the correct reception of the signals and also the ability to correctly identify false alarms.

Perimeter protection must be complemented with a good CCTV system. It is essential to understand well how to install CCTV cameras that cover all the space to be protected and that there are no areas with dead angles.

The CCTV camera installer must be a professional with an excellent technical level because he is putting the eyes of the security system of a critical installation. It is essential that you know how to adjust the correct orientation of the camera and its optics, to maximize the secured area, as well as prevent the image from being subjected to natural or artificial light glare that affects correct vision throughout the day. .

With video surveillance we are able to find out if we are facing a real alarm or not, and it allows us to locate the intruder or follow up in case he manages to cross the perimeter.

For the choice of cameras we will have to take into account factors such as the type of cameras to be used (visible or thermal); field of view of the camera; camera installation method (height, distance between cameras, lenses, etc.) and scene lighting.

The CCTV system is complemented by a good video analysis equipment, which has the ability to learn by algorithm to reduce the false alarm rate.

THE RIGHT CHOICE OF TECHNOLOGY

For the protection of industrial areas there is a wide range of equipment on the market: microwave barriers, infrared barriers, volumetric detectors, fence sensors, ground radars, video analysis systems, etc. The offer is so wide that only a company that constantly invests in the continuous training of its employees and that tests and tests all the novelties of the market can help us choose the most suitable for our property.

Here it is essential to have companies that integrate consulting and engineering in their security teams. It is not just buying the most modern equipment. You have to know it and know how to integrate it with the rest of the security equipment in order to optimize the investment to the maximum of the technical possibilities offered by the materials

Sometimes technology has its limitations, so it is necessary to know how to complete it. For example, microwave barriers and buried systems require a sterile zone to function properly.

MAINTENANCE OF THE SECURITY SYSTEM

Security does not end with the installation of the equipment. We must have a good maintenance plan that ensures the proper functioning of all the elements that make up the safety installation. The price of security camera maintenance is nothing comparable to the risk we assume when a security camera stops working and leaves a vulnerable hole in our installation.

We need to have the best CRA to complete our security system

Finally, we have to insist on the importance of having a central alarm receiver according to this type of facilities to be protected. This should be specialized in the complex perimeter protection systems we have seen in this post.

The central alarm receiver will manage all the alerts communicated by the installed security equipment. Real alarms can be prioritized and attended quickly. If the equipment does not work, maintenance parts will be opened so that they are corrected as soon as possible and no unprotected areas of the installation are given.

The central alarm receiver will also analyze the operation of the security system and will have the necessary information to propose possible improvements.