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Category Archive: Sectors

1. Security by Design- IFSEC Insider

   29th September 2023 8:26 pm Leave a Comment

   Early engagement: Why the Security Overlay to RIBA Plan of Work is a ‘game changer’ for security industry

   Simon Whitehouse, Managing Director at SGW Consulting, covers the new security overlay from The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Simon explains why the overlay, designed to integrate security into the building design process, is a ‘game-changer’ for the security industry and what its impact may be on the wider consultancy and built environment landscape.

   Fundamentally changing attitudes to security in design

   Security has often been an afterthought tacked onto the end of the building design process just before completion, leading to ineffective, overly complex, and often visually unappealing security measures.

   Security consultants have regularly been appointed too late in the architectural design process to have any ability to influence plot selection, access and circulation, critical asset placement and the architectural intended use of space. The new Security Overlay aims to guide the design team in taking an alternative and suitably informed approach.

   The guidance provides a blueprint for undertaking rigorous security risk assessments before the design brief has even been drafted. This allows the identified risks to inform design decisions from the beginning of the process proactively.

   For clients, this fundamental shift brings significant advantages. Integrating security considerations early on helps get safety and security outcomes perfectly aligned with their organisational goals, risk appetite, security posture and operational needs without requiring expensive retrofits later.

   As an embedded member of a new build or refurbishment project’s design team, a security consultant is crucial in defining security requirements for different project phases:

   • The base build phase involves designing the fundamental structure and systems of the building. During this phase, a security consultant focuses on establishing the foundational security measures to support the building’s overall security strategy.
   • The shell and core phase involves designing the building’s structural elements, façade, and core systems. The security consultant ensures the building’s basic security features are integrated into these elements.
   • The fit-out phase involves designing the interior spaces of the building, including partitions, finishes, and furniture. The security consultant ensures that the interior design supports previously established security measures.

   Click to read the full article.

2. LPS-1175 Team Training

   15th September 2023 6:42 pm Leave a Comment

   SGWs Consulting Team Completes LPS-1175 Training

   We are thrilled to share a few behind-the-scenes photos of the SGW team as we embarked on a day of intensive LPS-1175 training at our Edwinstowe House headquarters.

   At SGW, we believe in continuous improvement, and our commitment to investing in Continued Professional Development (CPD) is unwavering. As a security consultancy specialising in the built environment, we are proud to have invited Richard Flint MSyl, Technical and Commercial Lead for Physical Security at BRE, to conduct the LPS 1175 – Issue 8 training for our team.

   Why is this training important?

   SGW understand that preparation is key in an evolving landscape of security challenges. LPS 1175 – Issue 8 sets the benchmark for loss prevention standards, offering essential insights on the effects of delays to physical security treatments.

   

   A few behind-the-scenes photos of the SGW team as we embarked on a day of intensive LPS-1175 issue 8 training, delivered by BRE’s Richard Flint, Technical and Commercial Lead for Physical Security at our UK office.

   LPS 1175 Part 8.1 is a British standard that specifically deals with the testing and classifying of security doors, shutters, and grilles intended to protect against unauthorized forced entry. This standard is used to assess the resistance of these products to various methods of attack, including physical attacks like drilling, cutting, and prying, as well as the use of tools and techniques commonly employed by burglars and intruders.

   To follow a risk-based protective countermeasures approach on their projects, physical security consultants can use LPS 1175 Part 8.1 in the following ways:

   1. Risk Assessment: Consultants begin by conducting a comprehensive risk assessment for the specific project. This assessment involves identifying potential threats, vulnerabilities, and assets that need protection. It considers factors such as location, building layout, the value of assets, and the threat profile.
   2. Classification Levels: LPS 1175 Part 8.1 provides different security classification levels, ranging from SR1 (lower security) to SR6 (highest security). Consultants can use these classification levels to determine the appropriate level of security required based on the identified risks. For example, a high-value jewellery store may require a higher SR level than a standard commercial building.
   3. Product Selection: Based on the determined security classification level, consultants can recommend security doors, shutters, or grilles that meet or exceed the required resistance level specified in LPS 1175 Part 8.1. Manufacturers often provide products with LPS 1175 certification, making it easier for consultants to select suitable options.
   4. Specification and Design: Consultants work with architects, engineers, and security experts to integrate the chosen security products into the overall building design. This includes specifying the appropriate product types, installation methods, and any additional security features needed to achieve the desired protection level.
   5. Compliance Verification: Consultants ensure that the selected security products meet the requirements of LPS 1175 Part 8.1 by verifying that they have been tested and certified to the appropriate security classification level. This step involves reviewing product documentation and certification from manufacturers.
   6. Integration with Other Measures: A risk-based protective countermeasures approach often involves a combination of security measures, including access control systems, surveillance cameras, and security personnel. Consultants ensure that the physical security measures recommended in accordance with LPS 1175 Part 8.1 are integrated effectively with these other measures to create a holistic security strategy.
   7. Periodic Review: As security threats evolve, physical security consultants should periodically review and update the protective measures in place. This includes assessing whether the existing security products still meet the required protection levels and making adjustments as necessary.

   

   LPS 1175 Part 8.1 is a British standard that specifically deals with the testing and classification of security doors, shutters, and grilles intended to provide protection against unauthorized forced entry.

   In summary, LPS 1175 Part 8.1 is a valuable tool for physical security consultants to assess and specify the appropriate security measures for their projects. By conducting a thorough risk assessment and using the classification levels provided by the standard, consultants can tailor their recommendations to the specific security needs of a given site, helping clients implement effective protective countermeasures.

   Simon Whitehouse, Managing Director at SGW, said, “As we navigate the complexities of modern security threats, this training equips us with the latest knowledge and techniques to protect your interests better”.

   Planning Today, Protecting Tomorrow: This isn’t just a tagline; it’s a guiding principle that underscores our dedication to staying at the forefront of physical security expertise!

3. Security Consultancy of the year Finalist

   5th October 2022 9:37 am Leave a Comment

   SGW Consulting Group (SGW) has been selected by the judging panel as a finalist in the Security Excellence Awards 2022, in the awards category of Security Consultancy of the Year.

   This award will be presented to a security or fire consultancy consistently demonstrating excellence in the sphere of fire safety and/or physical security and/or cyber security consultancy, security and/or fire risk management.

   To be considered for this award, SGW has demonstrated to the judging panel the following key points of criteria.

   • Our specific areas of expertise in the security arena, and an outline of the major project work we have undertaken during the past 12 months
   • Evidence of our continuing leadership in the physical security community
   • Star quality – what sets us apart from our peers
   • References from our existing valued customers to prove assertions. 

   Now in their twenty third year, the Security Excellence Awards have consistently broken new ground in highlighting the absolute best people, projects and processes the UK’s security sector has to offer.

   Every year, over 1,000 of your industry’s foremost practitioners gather at London’s prestigious Hilton Hotel on Park Lane to recognise and honour the magnificent achievements of their peers.

   

   Simon Whitehouse, Managing Director of SGW said after receiving notice of the nomination.

   I am delighted that our peers have recognised our achievements with a finalist nomination for Security Consultancy of the Year award.

   This is the fourth time in our history that SGW has received nomination as a finalist to receive this prestigious award. 

   SGW’s most valued asset is without doubt, our qualified and experienced team, who have worked tirelessly, with focussed application and motivation to ensure that SGW remains one of the leading professional security consulting practices for built environment infrastructure projects.

   This year, we have significantly bounced back from a challenging pandemic period. Our team has further increased with two key appointments in the UK and two appointments in Dubai. 

   We have invested in the very latest Digital safety & security risk management (SRM) software which is a highly intuitive and detailed system that allows a robust analysis of ‘Risk’ when applying a wide variety of threat types, asset types, and reactive and initiative-taking security controls, which is becoming an essential element in our Security Risk Assessment service provision

   We have invested in the very latest Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection software and training for our consultants, from Autodesk. By taking advantage of BIM and the AEC Collection, we can provide the best security assessment, design and engineering options to our clients and communities.

   We have maintained and developed highly valued ongoing partnerships with legacy clients, together with winning significant new consulting work, particularly in the UK public sector, global financial institutions, and mega security project master planning work in the Gulf.

4. NHS Trust Appointment for SGW

   6th September 2022 2:15 pm Leave a Comment

   SGW Consulting Group are delighted to confirm that Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has appointed us to provide professional services, security consultancy, CCTV consultancy and project management in relation to the upgrade, extension and ongoing maintenance of CCTV and Electronic Security Systems for the Trust’s portfolio of hospital and healthcare premises.

   The Trust required an experienced and competent consultant to assist in the development of the specification for CCTV procurement that meets the Trust’s objectives. SGW has been appointed to work with the Trust’s Project Team, including the Security Manager, Procurement, Estates, Finance, and other staff to define and document the requirements for a future CCTV and security systems’ deployment across the trusts estate. Consultancy work included the development of a complete specification and evaluation criteria. Each of the requirements have been documented, assigned a priority, and then agreed through a formal sign off process by the Trust’s Project Team. 

   Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest, busiest, and most successful NHS foundation trusts. The Trust provides a full range of hospital and community services for people in Sheffield, as well as specialist care for patients from further afield. The Trust manages five of Yorkshire’s best known teaching hospitals, including:

   • Northern General Hospital
   • Royal Hallamshire Hospital
   • Charles Clifford Dental Hospital
   • Weston Park Cancer Hospital
   • Jessop Wing Maternity Hospital

   Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research. With around 17,000 employees, they are one of the biggest employers locally. The Trust aims to reflect the diversity of local communities and is proud of our new and existing partnerships with local people, patients, neighbouring NHS organisations, local authority, and charitable bodies.

   Jon Goodison, Security Manager at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: SGW has been found to be an excellent partner, offering advice from their wealth of experience in this field. They have listened to us as clients and met the brief without complaint or conflict. I have found them to be nothing but professional in every dealing with us, even when we change requirements well into the programme of works.

   Such is the confidence we now hold in SGW, that we have extended their contract through the tender evaluation and project management stages. 

   Simon Whitehouse, Managing Director of SGW said: We competitively tendered for this project through the ESPO Framework 628 – Security and Surveillance Equipment & Services – Lot 6 – Independent Security Consultancy Services. Having a place on this framework enabled SGW to add another significantly sized NHS Trust, with multiple teaching hospital facilities, to our ever-increasing portfolio of healthcare sector clients. We are delighted that Sheffield Teaching Hospitals are working with us in close collaboration, where we feel we have become an extension of their security and facilities team, to ensure the trust develops and implements a robust and fit for purpose CCTV and Electronic Security System strategy, across its hospital and healthcare estate.

   NOTES TO EDITORS:

   Safety & Security Ltd (SGW) provides safety and security assessment, design and programme management consulting and training services for the protection of people, buildings and built infrastructure assets. Originally established in 2003, SGW now has a strong international footprint, with offices in the UK and Dubai covering EMEA Regions. 

   SGW has an extensive portfolio of healthcare clients that also includes Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, Spire Healthcare Private Hospitals Group and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. SGW has also a place on the NHS London Procurement Partnership Estates & Facilities Consultancy Services Dynamic Purchasing System Framework – Category 21 Security Systems Consultancy Services.

   For further information, please visit our website at: http://www.sgw-consulting.co.uk/