One of G4S’s customers is an international energy and infrastructure conglomerate with operations in more than 38 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia. One of its locations in Africa was suffering from significant security challenges that required immediate action.

The following were among the problems from which the customer had been struggling:

• Theft of vehicle spares and batteries
• Office equipment theft
• Vandalism of fuel pipelines
• Access and egress control

The glaring security issues were negatively impacting the customer in a variety of ways. Not only were operational costs high due to theft and vandalism, but the customer was also suffering from:

• Loss of important data
• Operational inefficiency
• Decreasing fuel distributor satisfaction
• Fines and penalties stemming from non-compliance with regulatory authorities

The number of challenges the customer was facing could be improved or completely eradicated with a better security system. It had already attempted to address the issue through the engagement of internal security systems, but this effort proved ineffective.

G4S was contracted to take on the customer’s challenges to implement a security system that could provide results. Due to the issues with regulatory compliance, it was imperative that action be taken immediately

THE GOALS

The primary goal for this project was to bolster the security system to prevent theft and vandalism that the customer was experiencing. Specifically, the customer had set a goal for G4S to implement a system that would detect incidents in real time to immediately deter theft and vandalism.

Achieving this goal is critical when it comes to preventing fuel pipeline vandalism. Preventing this vandalism ensures compliance with regulatory authority requirements and improves overall operational efficiency. An additional goal, which could be achieved by satisfying the primary goal of incident prevention, was to improve distributor morale. By securing operations to prevent theft and vandalism, efficiencies would be improved to strengthen distributor confidence.

THE SOLUTION

G4S’s approach was to implement an integrated security solution with multiple separate components working together in unison. Vehicle management system monitored from our NCC which in turn will add value by monitoring fleet optimisation. The following elements were presented to the customer in an effort to eliminate its security challenges:

• Security Professionals: Highly trained guards were strategically deployed on-site for maximum coverage of areas at the highest risk for unauthorised entry.
• Guard Monitoring System: G4S implemented a system for monitoring guards to ensure that patrolling was always done efficiently and effectively.
• CCTV With Remote Monitoring: A CCTV system was installed in the highest risk areas of the customer’s site. This CCTV system is monitored by G4S through its national control center (NCC).

By bringing together a patrol of guarding and a camera system with 24/7 real-time monitoring, G4S would aim to immediately detect potential incidents and react expediently with a response team.

THE RESULTS

G4S rolled out the integrated security solution at the customer’s site at the beginning of Q3 2021. The immediate results were exceedingly positive.

Incidents are now being detected and responded to in a timely manner, thanks to real-time monitoring in highrisk areas. This has resulted in a marked decrease in theft and vandalism incidents. G4S’s system has also provided much-improved access and egress control, which has led to an increase in operational efficiency.

Due to the improvement in overall security, distributor confidence has rebounded, as trust in the customer has been solidified. This reversed a downward trend in distributor morale the customer
had previously been experiencing. Furthermore, the reduction of theft and vandalism has naturally decreased the customer’s operational expenses. The reduction in vandalism was particularly important, as it has led to compliance with regulatory authority requirements.

The customer is highly satisfied with the solution G4S devised and has entered into a partnership that will last through at least late 2023, with hopes to continue beyond this date.