Taking Precautions with Bombs
You can take a number of steps to protect your staff and
property against bombs. Some of these steps will also
help you prevent other kinds of crime.
Basic Security
Keep terrorists out when you are closed by fitting good
quality key operated locks and bolts to doors and windows.
For outside doors you should use locks which meet British
Standard 3621 (look for the 'kite mark'). But
be careful not to break the rules for fire exits. Good
security lighting will also put terrorists off. If you
can, put lights over fencing, outside doors and windows.
Glass
Protect people from flying glass by having a special thin
polyester film fixed to the inside of your windows and
hanging special net curtains. Or you could replace the
glass in your windows with laminated glass which is at
least 7.5mm thick. Your local Crime Prevention
Officer will be able to give you the names
of companies in your area which can carry out the work.
Control Who Comes Onto Your Property
Make
it as difficult as possible for people who should
not be there to enter your property during
business hours. If
possible, separate the private areas of your
business from the public areas. Then
control who can get into the private areas by
using locks or by checking people as they go in. If the
threat of a terrorist attack is high, you can
search all the handbags and luggage which people
bring onto you property. You
have the right to refuse entry to anybody who
will not allow you to search their bags. Make
sure that people do not leave personal belongings
on your property without your permission.
Keep Your Property Tidy
If you
keep the inside of your property tidy, there is
less chance of somebody planting a bomb where no
one will see it. Inside,
try to reduce the number of places where a bomb
could be hidden. Lock
all cupboards and unused rooms, and decide
whether you need all the furniture. Pay
particular attention to public areas (including
toilets) and keep them tidy. Outside,
do not let rubbish pile up, especially on the
pavement. A pile of rubbish can be used to hide a
bomb. Hedges
and bushes can also be good cover for a bomb, so
do not let them become overgrown.
Be On Your Guard
In
particular look out for the following suspicious
behaviour:
Somebody leaving a
package or other object in an unlikely
place (for example, a shop doorway or
flowerbed). Somebody placing (rather
than dropping) something into a litter
bin. In shops, somebody
putting something in an unusual place (for
example, among clothes or in furniture) -
especially if somebody else is keeping a
lookout for them. Think about
installing closed circuit television
cameras outside your property and inside
too. Ask your local Crime
Prevention Officer for
advice on how to get a system which will
meet your needs. Talk to businesses
on either side of you about working
together to cover the areas outside your
properties.
Keyholders
The police may urgently need to contact the person who
keeps the keys to your property. Make sure that your
local police station has the name and address of the key-holder
and that you keep this information up to date.
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