Security Plan for Wal-Mart Paper Sample

Behind the safe and serene recreational and business environments, there is a well thought and comprehensive security plan. The security of a particular premises say business parks and shopping centers is a vital role that must be effectively ensured by both the owners, the clients and the general public that makes up the community around premises. To ensure that all these individuals interact safely and with ease, there is the need for the premises management to design and establish a comprehensive security plan. The plan should be effective enough to accommodate the target group as well as exclude the unauthorized group of people.

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This paper specifically focuses around the current security system at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located in Maricopa, Arizona; and later brings forward appropriate security plan recommendation worth implementation for better security and safety of both workers and shoppers. The premise is a shopping center for household items, groceries and other items. Located at the intersection of the Shea Way and North Porter Road, the premise is surrounded by other Wal-Mart property stores. The surrounding buildings include Wal-Mart Pharmacy, Connection Center and the Vision Center. The premise runs on a 24-hours basis all days of the week except on Sundays with peak inflow of shoppers recorded between noon and four oclock in the late afternoon. Due to the high number of shoppers that calls for long queues and crowd a comprehensive security plan should be put in place and regularly reviewed to ensure a safe and secure operating environment. ("The Complete Guide to Physical Security - Walmart.com", 2016)

Overview of the Current Security System

The premise is currently satisfactorily secured, lying within two wall perimeters; the outer perimeter that surrounds the other Wal-Mart premises and the inner wall that demarcates the supercenter from the other premises. The inner wall has a gate fixed with security alarms and detectors, with security officers on guard at all times. The building of the premises itself has an entrance and an exit on different locations of the building. The entrances support traffic of shoppers and the entry to the loading area. There is no restriction on the usage of the way to the loading to pedestrian shoppers or even the ones driving to the parking area.Security officers randomly scan and check for bags at the exit to ensure no consumer walks out with unauthorized or well purchased items. Being a single floor store building, the building has awell laid roofing style. Security cameras are also fixated within and outside the premise in well thought positions and places.

The premise has a well-organized emergency and disaster planning within the store. This helps to avoid wastage of time and resources and preventable accidents in the premise. They have power backup generators to enable business continuity in case of national power grid failure. This prevents burglary, pickpocketing of customers and shoplifting. The premise also has a fully implemented non-violence at work policy and ethics. Harassment, assault, violence threats and inappropriate conduct is not allowed within the premise by any employee or shopper. However, analysts say the owners of the premises are concerned about their business safety rather more than the customers. More recently, the Wal-Mart holdings fired one of their workers who attempted to intervene in the assault of a lady within their premise. This is also backed by statistics that rank violence at the premises parking to be very high and as a major concern.

Although the premise is signed to compliance with the required acts of hiring, training and handling of workers and their working environment, it has failed to oblige and comply fully. In March 2016, the company owning this premise was cited and consequently fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for violations of laid corporate safety agreements. Owing the large number of employees the premise holds; failure to implement health and safety rules within the work premise is an absolute risk of exposure to hazardous effects and unhygienic conditions. Some of the cited violations were of grave causes that could literally infect the workers and even cause deaths at their places of work. For instance, the premise owner does not train their workers yearly on the possible manners of cleaning up substances like blood spills; lack of an appropriate contact space with exposed electrical appliances and live wires and inadequate provision of protective ware and measures for burns and shock hazards. (Christ, 2016)

The premise has a digital monitoring policy where it ensures the coverage needs of the store and complaints of the consumers are met. These needs which include security and safety and associated risks are regularly monitored to help the store make an informed decision on the appropriate manner to cover up their inadequacies in terms of service and security. Areas where data suggest higher risks are attended to first by hiring training and posting the appropriate staff to attend to consumers. These helps to welcome and create a shopping-friendlier environment right from the premise entrance; and block the motives and advances of potential shoplifters.

Recommendations

Customer Security Measures

Owing to the large number of complaints of damages of customer properties, assaults, harassment and even deaths within the Wal-Marts premises, the company should redesign their customer security policy to ensure minimal or no such incidences. This can be achieved by regular training of the security personnel on the up to date usage of various security tool, systems and weapons; encouraging professionalism in handling security matters; and the proper redesigning of the existent structures to effectively accommodate the population of workers and the customers. Examples of restructuring include; the separation of parking lots with pedestrian customer pathways to avoid accidents; proper lighting and transparent lounges and appropriate location and availability of security personnel to intervene promptly and effectively. The customer and worker should also be exposed to the appropriate and reliable signal channels in case of the occurrence of such inappropriate actions toward them. These can include rapid response hot calls and panic buttons. Personnel should also be employed to regulate traffic and movement within the premise.

Premises Security against Vandalism and Property Damage

Damages can be caused by natural happenings such as lightning strikes or human orchestrated accidents and intentional damages. Being located in the middle other public business amenities and along major and busy roads, the Wal-Mart premise is vulnerable to unexpected acts of vandalism and property damage. This uncertainty calls for proper anti-vandalism measures and prompt recovery practices. The erection of protective systems against lightning and excessive rain and ice fall can be most appropriate here. In case of adverse effects like the hurricane, the premise should have back up stock relocation plans and ensure continuity of business. Dealing with human damages can be complex and easy at the same time. The location of security managers on other areas other than the entrance and exit seems more appropriate. Erection of inconspicuous and yet fashionable perimeter walls is. This means a visit to the premise is only on shopping purpose rather than ill motives. Scanning and restriction of entrance equipment to the premise would also curb such acts. The visitors to the premise should also be restricted to consumer allowed areas and not within close range of out of bound structures and properties. The existent security systems such as alarms should be regularly attendee to and updated to ensure they remain highly effective and responsive to acts of property damage.

Trespass and Physical Intrusion

The premise should be free of unauthorized shoppers and burglars from its vicinity through the appropriate deployment of security officers. Video surveillance of suspicious movements and glances and monitoring of use of unusual entry points should be done and acted upon promptly and appropriately. This can be aided by the incorporation of integrated security systems that can receive information and prompt appropriate action. Appropriated access systems should also be established in areas such as wash rooms and changing rooms.

Occupational Safety and Health

The company should be on the forefront to ensure safety rules and hygienic health practices to both workers and clients. This is through minimization of their exposure to occupational hazards that may lead to chronic disease infections and even ultimate deaths. The workers involved in cleaning and maintenance should be equipped with effective and sufficient protective wear and gear. These should ensure that they are not exposed to health hazards and allergens. The area of operation of the worker should be installed with insulator materials to avoid electric and heat shocks when handling their duties. The area that is within the premises should be free of noise and hazardous pollution. The personnel should also be regularly trained on updated methods and measures in handling the various circumstances under which they find themselves on the line of duty.

Information Technology and Business Intel Safety

Above all the physical measures of that ensure the security of the premises, the organization should also ensure the inside information concerning confidential business Intel that may be detrimental if exposed to competitors and other malicious individuals is kept safe and secure. This should be done through the establishment of high proof IT systems and internet system security. The company should also adopt multiple and alternate IT systems that should be resorted to incase there is a breakdown and breaches in the current protective system.

Conclusion

The security of a business premise is vital to the functionality of the business and its productivity. Due to their public nature and somehow relaxed access rules, business premises are more prone to acts of crime and damage. To ensure such acts are minimized, there should be up to date security systems and policies. Wal-Mart is a typical business premise that appropriate requires security maintenance policies to achieve its business and corporate purposes. The areas that should be addressed include IT and business inside information security; the safety of the workers and customers; occupational health and safety standards and property safety.

Reference

The Complete Guide to Physical Security - Walmart.com.(2016). Walmart.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016, from https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Complete-Guide-to-Physical-Security/10532279

Walmart to bring back store 'greeters' and beef up security.(2016). UPI. Retrieved 10 October 2016, from http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2016/05/07/Walmart-to-bring-back-store-greeters-and-beef-up-security/8961462650364/

Christ, G. (2016). Wal-Mart Violates Corporate Safety Agreement with OSHA. Ehstoday.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016, from http://ehstoday.com/osha/wal-mart-violates-corporate-safety-agreement-osha