One of our customers owns and operates a large mining site in the Democratic Republic of Congo that features three main base camps for staff and management. On their site, they have numerous
mining areas that require security improvements:

• Perimeter fencing. For obvious reasons, not having a fence or wall around the perimeter of a mining area can pose serious security risks. 
• Security Guarding. Can help to provide a physical presence that deters would-be criminals and helps respond quickly in the event of an incident.
• K9 security. K9 units can be a very effective solution for mining companies, as they provide a non-lethal way to deter and respond to threats.
• Access control points. These are areas where people need to go through to enter or exit the site. Without proper security measures, tracking who is coming and going and monitoring what they’re bringing in or taking out can be challenging.
• CCTV surveillance. This is a crucial tool for deterring and investigating crime, but it’s also essential for safety purposes. Having footage can be invaluable if there’s an accident or other incident.
• Upgraded or high-tech security features. Can include things like gate automation, fingerprint scanners, or other biometric security measures.

Due to these gaps in their security measures, the customer experienced invasions from illegal diggers at some of their sites. Unauthorised industrial mining activities were taking place on the premises while under their watch, leading to significant financial losses and security risks to their employees. They had contacted another security provider who could not successfully end these illegal activities, so they needed a better solution.

THE GOALS

The customer sought a professional company with deep experience that could protect their assets, stop illegal digging, and keep their mines safe. There were three primary objectives for the partnership:

1. Minimise Danger or Harm to Employees. This mining site houses thousands of employees who work, eat, sleep, and live full-time on-site each and every day. The company’s number one priority is the safety and well-being of their employees, so they needed a security solution that would help to protect them from harm.
2. Reduce Financial Losses. The customer lost millions of dollars annually due to unauthorised mining activities at their sites. They needed a way to put an end to these illicit activities and recoup some of their losses.
3. Increase Productivity. By stopping illegal mining activities, the customer hoped to increase productivity at their sites with fewer closures, maintenance needs, and property damage. This would be a two-fold benefit - not only would they be able to produce more product, but they would also be able to do so without disruptions to their business.

G4S submitted a cost-effective and comprehensive security plan to address their goals and paired it with a mobilisation plan to get established quickly, and ultimately got enlisted by the customer to start a partnership straight away.

THE SOLUTION

In order to mobilise quickly, the solution involved a number of steps.

STEP 1
First and foremost, the customer wanted to secure the perimeter of their mining areas. This meant installing fencing and gates to establish clear boundaries and control access points. By introducing
high-tech solutions like access control systems and automated gates to improve operational efficiency, this helps limit the number of accidental mishaps or security errors.

STEP 2
The next step was setting up a physical presence on-site with security guards. Our team proposed a deployment strategy that would station security guards at strategic locations around the property, as well as at all access points. These guards would be responsible for controlling access, deterring criminal activity, and responding to any incidents that may occur 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The guards were also tasked with patrolling the premises on foot or by vehicle to monitor any suspicious behaviour.

STEP 3
The next step was to further support our security guards by incorporating K9 units to provide another layer of protection. These units would be deployed at random intervals throughout the day and night to create a heightened sense of security and deter potential threats. K9 units are proven to be an effective way to reduce crime, and they would also provide our customer with some much-needed peace of mind.

Our straightforward and effective combination of security guards, mobilised patrol units, and K9 protection aimed to safeguard their mine from illegal and unauthorised mining activity. The results have been almost instant.

RESULTS

Since the solution was implemented in June 2022, our customer has seen significant benefits to their business across the board. With G4S’s support, our customer has experienced a:

• reduction in crime and unauthorised activity
• increase in productivity and efficiency
• decrease in the number of accidents and injuries to employees
• drop in disruptions due to crime-related maintenance or shutdowns
• cutback in financial losses with fewer resources and assets lost

In such a short time, we’re proud to have positively impacted our customer’s business.