When the lights go out at Timbmet‘s Oxford site these days, everyone can go home safe in the knowledge that nothing will be disturbed until the morning.
For not only has the hardwood importer and distributor not had one single security incident since the introduction of a new hi-tech CCTV system at Cumnor Hill – it has saved thousands of pounds too.
Overall Timbmet employs 600 people, half of whom are based at its 20-acre Oxford site which houses timber processing plant, kilning operation and storage area. More than 60 delivery vehicles visit the site each day, requiring access from 6.30am to 9pm.
Original security measures consisted of guards, who were employed to patrol the premises during out-of-office hours and at weekends. A single guard was retained on site at any one time, supported by six static cameras which were transmitted to a single monitor with six screens and reviewed by the guard.
However, difficulties occurred if the guard was dispatched to an incident at the main security gate and other areas were left unmonitored.
And a major concern for Timbmet was the high cost of retaining security guards, particularly during holiday periods when 24-hour cover was required. Overall the security budget cost in excess of £6,000 a month.
In September 2003, group logistics manager Philip Trueman contacted Oxford-based IVS Group to investigate how to reduce overheads. The IVS Group recommended that the security guards should be replaced with a remotely monitored, digital CCTV system, backed-up by response guarding in the event of an incident.
Payback period
Timbmet was initially cautious about removing the physical presence of the guards, even though the cost savings of the new system were evident. However, the directors were convinced when they learned that an initial £40,000 capital investment in the new CCTV system would be recouped within a year.
Another concern was to convince Timbmet’s insurance company that the system was robust and secure, with the risk to the business minimised. The insurers insisted that a full technical specification with clear-cut details on camera functionality and locations should be provided and approved by them before agreeing to go ahead. In particular, they insisted that the monitoring was provided by accredited operators who had achieved national training standards for security operatives.
With the board and insurance company happy, IVS installed the new security measures which consisted of 11 dome infra red cameras and connected redwall sensors placed in strategic locations around the site. The motion-activated redwall sensors are a vital element of the system. They can detect any on-site movement and activate the nearest camera to focus on any incident.
Digital images from the cameras are transmitted via ISDN to a certified remote control centre in Manchester, from where trained operators can control the camera angles and call up incidents as required. The images are recorded 24/7 and saved for a four-week period. Monitors have also been installed in the transport room in Oxford, which enable the group logistics manager to review any incidents and view and control the cameras.
The equipment is armed at 9pm after the last lorry has left the site and the supervisor on duty has handed over security to the monitoring centre. In the event of an incident, a public announcement system has been installed which asks intruders to make themselves known to the operators from the nearest two-way communications point. If the situation is not resolved immediately, the remote operators can then despatch a locally-based guard to the site to deal with the incident.
Systems never sleep
Mr Trueman said: “With the offices and yard located on a split site, a guarding solution always left holes in our security as well as our pocket. Our new electronic security systems are all-seeing and never sleep, and the ongoing monitoring and maintenance charges are a fraction of the original guarding costs.”
He continued: “We have had to adopt strict procedures to ensure that out-of-hours access can be obtained by those who genuinely require it. A limited number of staff are designated key holders and others need to seek prior permission to come on site, which is an excellent discipline and allows us to keep track of what is going on even when we are not there.
“Moving from an analogue to a digital CCTV system is much simpler than you may think. The only difficulties we have encountered were initial teething problems with over-sensitive sensors being activated wrongly. However, this was easily resolved by IVS who would disable and re-calibrate the sensor while the other cameras were still functioning.”
The new security measures have been running for just over a year and there has not been a single security incident in that time. Mr Trueman believes many people are put off by the clear signage outside which indicates that CCTV is in operation. Timbmet is reviewing security at its other sites and is convinced that this is the way forward for its future security needs.
And as for the cost – ongoing maintenance for the service from IVS is a mere £660 a month.
