Best Practices

By Paul Stevenson and Lance Reeve

Security at food-processing plants can take many forms, from cameras and guards
to lights and fencing. What security measures are right for your company?

W ith increasing government imposed

guidelines, it is important to under-
stand how your food-processing facility can ben-
efit from physical security measures. Here are a
few options for you to consider.

CAMERAS. Even Superman cannot be in all

places at once. So how can we expect a food se-
curity team to keep an eye on every employee
24 hours a day? Security cameras are valuable
additions to any facility’s food security program.
They are used to monitor and record suspicious
activity.
There are two different types of CCTV (close
circuit television) monitoring. Historical moni-
toring involves placing security cameras in vari-

AIB QUARTERLY WINTER 2004/2005 13

Best Practices
ous locations in order to record activity. In-
stead of assigning an employee to monitor
the activity in real time, you simply record
and save the footage for historical purposes.
When an activity occurs, you can review
the tape to determine what happened and
capture the image of the criminal perform-
ing the act. The downfall to historical moni-
toring is that you cannot prevent incidents
from occurring. It is used as evidence after
the activity has occurred. Employees should
understand that help will not be coming in
the event of an attack because no person is
currently monitoring the activity.
Real-time monitoring is very beneficial,
but requires a huge commitment from the
company. At least one person must moni-
tor the cameras during all working hours
and potentially during down periods. This
type of monitoring can be very expensive
to the company, but is beneficial in record-
ing and possibly preventing events from oc-
curring.
You should determine the type of moni-
toring that is best for you based on your
facility’s size, budget, staff capabilities, etc.
Either type is valuable and provides some
level of security. Remember, even Super-
man couldn’t watch everyone at once, so
how can we expect that of our food secu-
rity team?
LIGHTS. One of the best ways to prevent
food security incidents at a facility is to use
light effectively. Lights deter people from
doing bad things because they feel they are
being watched. To provide effective light-
ing around your facility, follow these simple
rules:
• Recommend metal-halide lamps in ar-
eas away from the building. Metal-halide
provides the best color rendition for the use
of security cameras. (Note: When buying
cameras, choose the camera first and then
match the lighting as it is more cost effec-
tive.)
• Recommend 2-5 footcandles for most
exterior locations.
• Recommend 5-10 footcandles for
most gates, employee and visitor entrances,
walkways, loading docks, and other areas
monitored by security cameras.
• Recommend vandal-resistant lenses for
lights less than 10 feet high.
• Lights should be controlled (on/off)
14 WINTER 2004/2005 AIB QUARTERLY
by a photoelectric cell and not by a switch
or timer.
• Lights should be surveyed on a fre-
quent basis to ensure they are working and
that enough light is provided.
FENCES. Do you need a fence for your food
security program? If so, here is some infor-
mation that may assist you in determining
One of the best ways to
prevent food security
incidents at a facility is to
use light effectively. Lights
deter people from doing bad
things because they feel they
are being watched.
location, type of fence, and installation.
Fences should be placed 3-5 feet inside
the property line to allow proper mainte-
nance of trees, shrubs, and undergrowth on
the outside of the fence. The minimum
fence height should be at least 7 feet above
your finished grade in order to minimize
access. If the fence is only used to mark
property boundaries in a low-risk environ-
ment, lower heights can be used. It is rec-
ommended that the fence be made of 2 ½-
9” gauge galvanized mesh to allow view-
ing. A three-strand barbed wire guard (fac-
ing out) will provide maximum protection.
As for the installation of the fence, be
sure to bury it and ensure that it follows
the contour of the grounds. Make sure gates
match it in strength and texture. Also, make
sure you have visibility through the fence
at all times by keeping vegetation trimmed
back.
LOCKS. Locks are used to control access to
various entry points in the facility. They
can be used on buildings, rooms, cabinets,
equipment, etc. In order for locks to func-
tion properly, key control is essential.
Implementing a control program for any
type of key is critical to ensure that only
authorized individuals are allowed to ac-
cess restricted areas. The security coordi-
nator should monitor the key management
system. He or she will assign keys, keep a
log of those who have keys, and collect keys
from individuals removed from designated
locations. Key control is necessary for em-
ployees, vendors, contractors, etc. to ensure
the food-processing facility remains secure
at all times.
Locks should be tested periodically to en-
sure they are still functioning as designed.
This could be part of a regular security au-
dit conducted by the security coordinator
or designated personnel. One of the most
common issues during a security audit is
that unauthorized individuals have access
to keys or locks. For example, employees may
share electronic key codes or duplicate keys.
There are many different types of locks
that can be used. The level of security
needed for the access point will usually
determine what type of lock is required. A secu-
rity consultant or locksmith should be consulted
for proper selection and application.
GUARDS. Guards are not uncommon in
food plants. They can be very beneficial to
a company’s security program. The most
important element of guard services is man-
agement. A common failure in a food plant
is to hire a guard service, implement the
service, and not provide any supervision.
A supervisor, most commonly the security
coordinator, should be assigned to oversee
guards and ensure they are providing the
required services.
The main function of a guard is to moni-
tor and report. Any security incident iden-
tified by the guards should be reported to
the facility contact. Regular, written reports
are an effective method of providing feed-
back to the facility. Written work instruc-
tions should be designated for each guard
position so they know exactly what the
company requires of them. Assignments
may include monitoring incoming employ-
ees, visitors and vehicles, conducting regu-
lar security inspections, monitoring CCTV
(closed circuit television) systems, etc. The
instructions should clearly define what tools
are needed in order to conduct their du-
ties. Most guards in U.S. facilities will not
be armed as this may create a larger issue
for the facility. AIB
Stevenson is Director, Product Quality/IP Systems,
AIBI and Reeves is Project Coordinator, AIBI.