BSIA Encourage Visitor Management

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is urging all businesses to audit their visitor management systems to improve security and fulfil their duty of care.

Companies have a "duty of care" towards every visitor, invited or not, under the Occupiers Liability Act 1984, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992.

This legislation requires companies to ensure that non-employees are not exposed to risks to their health and safety whilst they remain within business premises.

Failure to comply with these laws is a criminal offence.

"Clients, temporary workers, contractors and sales representatives are just a few of the many visitors who access busy offices on a daily basis," says BSIA Chairman, Phil Redcliffe. "Each visitor is a potential risk to security and one of the simplest and most cost effective ways of reducing risk and cutting crime is knowing who is on site."

A visitor management system should impress upon visitors that your company is professional and well organised, and will create a serious deterrent to potential criminals. Visitors without an ID pass become immediately recognisable as possible unauthorised guests.

Visitor management systems allow a company to communicate appropriate instructions to visitors regarding health and safety, whilst creating a list of the people on-site for use in the event of an evacuation.

Such visitor management systems are now able to capture detailed information about all on-site visitors, whilst promoting a professional image from the moment a visitor steps into the building.