Whilst the incident in Manchester was tragic and another event in the recent catalogue of attrocities that have taken place around Europe in the past few years, I feel that this is where the Government must take the lead.  The Government, Police and relevant agencies can only issue guidance.  It is then down to business leaders to either accept it and act upon it or not.

As H&S professionals I don't think it is down to us to implement, but maybe suggest that this guidance is available and does the business want to do anything with it.

It is a tricky balance that firmly lays at board level.

I am not dismissing any guidance provided, but think it needs to be carefully implemented and not seen as a knee jerk reaction that could be perceived as "what do they know" or "are we at risk" and causing panic and concern.

I think it depends on the business that your in, prisons will be set at critical now, large companies possibly the same, local authorities might move it up the scale, railways particularly underground stations, airports etc..

I work in a background with th elderly and youngsters and we will continue as is. I will also continue my life. 

I do send my condolences, to the families who have lost loved ones and to Manchester in general.

I think that if your organisation is an expected target you (or a colleague) will already know and will be receiving direct and specific advice/support.  For everyone else, this guidance is really a prompt to make sure systems you already have in place for general security are working properly.

However, I would suggest that there is a business continuity issue, even if your organisation is not a target.  How will you cope if an neighbouring site is attacked, major transport routes are interupted etc?  Again, you should already have plans in place but this could be the prompt to review.

One of the biggest difficulties in reacting to the terror threat is the fact that we don't know any real details.  Presumably (and a big presumption here) the government has some specific information that lead them to deploy troops today.  Not only do I not have that information (nor should I have it) but the I don't have the resources to react in such a manner.

Which leaves the practicalities of vigilance and reporting any suspicious activity to the authorities, coupled with good evacuation and response plans.  

The main thing you need is Incident response plan (not the same as business continuity-it’s about getting everybody out and safe, not about saving the business) and an incident control officer who knows the plan and can make sure everybody follows it when things happen and can act as a contact point with emergency services.

The size and scope of this plan depends on how big your organisation is and how vulnerable it is.

All

My job role covers safety & security for a major crowded place venue therefore the guidance we follow has a lot of relevance.

If anyone is unsure what to do then I would recommend you initially contact your local Counter Terrorism Security Advisor (CTSA) based at your local Police force.  They can offer advice and point you in the right direction for security measures - and if your venue is applicable will carry out a survey.

NaCTSO has refreshed its latest guidance on recognising the terrorist threat and I would recommend you access this at www.nactso.gov.uk

 The following links provide also some additional information:

http://www.cpni.gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stay-safe-film

http://www.cpni.gov.uk/advice/physical-security/cctv

I think the response depends on whether you are a target or not.  For most of us the threat levels mean little have little impact except perhaps that knowing that the threat level has increased means I keep my eyes open a bit more for odd or unusual behaviour, unattended parcels in public etc.  For most businesses it makes no difference but if you are theatre or conference centre then more security and a reminder to staff about emergency procedures, bomb threats etc might be a good idea.

What if....?

Such a short phrase leading to so much effort and anguish.

How do you know when that particular question has been adequately answered given all the potential variables?

Once in a hundred years weather event coupled with power workers strike coupled with major traffic grid-lock then add to the mix...all valid what if scenarios

Amanda

The references you have posted are good...I have emergency plans for major hazard facilities across a number of countries and have regular visits from CTSA in the UK and other services outside of the UK.

You can go overboard, unless you are in the centre of the intelligence flow to truely undertsand the threat to you facility or staff you can only put the basics in place including planning and perhaps going as far as building and facility design. The only thing I would add to your list is to review emergency plans against the JSIP model (you can also download a free app) this will give you a flexible enough framework to deal with any combination of incidents.

http://www.jesip.org.uk/home

During what people refer to as the 'trouble' in NI my then employer had a number of vehicles bricked by youths as they were going about thier deliveries, mainly because the headboard said 'British'  we removed the headboard so the youth's didn't have a chance to pick up the stones by the time the vehicle go to them...just little to show that things help.

I have been involved in activities from Environmental Activities, Animal rights to threats too numerous to mention in the Congo and South Africa where you really didn't know what would be coming next...it did involve making sure that the staff at risk new what it meant and knew what to do to check and what to do when it happens.

You can't plan for everything but you can put simple things in place to help mitigate the impact.

Hi dazlalley

I'd be interested in some more info about that training - I'm reviewing our first aid training so it might be a good one to add to the mix. 

Edited by user 20 July 2017 10:41:32(UTC)  | Reason: typo