Oil refineries are typically massive complexes with multiple safety and security protocols to help prevent incidents and the danger of more serious threats. Complete facility control, detection and monitoring are achieved with the use of video surveillance, access control and perimeter security, as well as with highly trained security officers.
For these officers, technology is integral to their effectiveness, and among the most valuable solutions for this is a guard tour system. Designed with the functionality and ease of use needed to meet the demands of a refinery’s comprehensive security operation, automated and integrated guard tour systems can help to limit an organization’s exposure to liability as well as provide statistics for accountability.
Patrol tours of a facility often include specific instructions such as shaking a gate to ensure it is locked, walking behind the building, fire watch checks and so on. These check lists for the security officer, when complemented by a hand-held data recorder, allow activity/incident reports to be completed in a faster and more comprehensive fashion. Automated guard tour systems can help to minimize risk and keep officers alert and accurate with features such as random tour commands, which initiate a completely different tour every time, or auto pilot capability that displays the next station on the LCD screen so there is no excuse for incomplete or forgotten stations.
Rugged, hand-held data recorders allow security personnel to input incident codes while on tour, using the built-in keypad and display. Paperwork is eliminated with the convenience of user programmable incident codes which can be downloaded to a computer at the end of the guard tour. And because the information can be custom organized, management can more readily identify infractions and take the necessary action to resolve the situation. Finally, data stored on the computer is better and more easily archived and accessed than hard copy written reports.
Overall, the use of automated guard tour technology can greatly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of security officers, improving security and optimizing the investment in manpower.
