Hospitality Solutions

Risk Mitigation Strategies for Hoteliers 

Managing the risks facing Hoteliers today requires an understanding of the key factors affecting the Pub and Club industry;

1. Increase of violent crime – especially armed robbery
2. Increasing Duty of Care responsibility and OH&S requirements
3. Changing Legislations affecting premise layout as well as increased security technology requirements 

How can security help with managing the risks facing Licensed Premises? 

Crime

A report released by the Australian Institute of Criminology identified that 72% of Liquor Outlets had reported experiencing crime.  Statistics also indicate that armed holdups were on the rise with the most common weapons used during armed holdups being knives (49%) followed by firearms (23%).* Robbery and Assault are unfortunately a common threat to Hoteliers. CCTV and DVR Surveillance technologies act not only as a deterrent to would be criminals, they can also provide clear records should an incident occur. Point of Sale security linked to cash register sales can greatly minimise staff theft as well as provide stock tracking via the monitoring and recording of items sold. Innovative Products such as the Smoke Protection System is ideal for preventing theft in locations favoured by criminals such as the safe room, stock room or Poker Machine areas – in less than 20 seconds a dense cloud of harmless, odourless smoke is emitted disorientating the intruder and activating an alarm. This greatly minimises the theft of any valuable equipment and prevents a quick escape, resulting in a greater likelihood of detaining the intruder.

Duty of Care

In an age where insurance costs are rising due to not only robberies but also public liability claims, it is important to provide adequate electronic security to maximize the safety of staff and customers and minimise the costs associated with unwanted claims against your premises or unnecessary insurance premium increases.  In 2004, the South Sydney Junior Rugby League club was fined $195,000 following an armed robbery due to the “failure to provide a safe place of work for employees or adequate security infrastructure”. Work Place Australia specifies that businesses must ask the question – “what is the potential risk for harm”. By installing adequate Duress Alarms, CCTV and DVR surveillance and robust back to base Monitoring solutions, an Hotelier is protecting themselves against the risk of public liability claims and also potentially reducing insurance premium costs. 

Legislation 

Hoteliers are required to comply with new legislation changes all the time. Smoking laws have recently meant new additions to pubs and clubs or layout changes resulting in a need for increased or upgrades to security coverage. A new legislation is currently being discussed in Victoria for the obligatory upgrade from Analogue CCTV/DVR technology to Digital. It is probable this will be enforced over the next year with other states likely to follow suit. Your security partner should keep you abreast of changing legislation and be able to offer you cost effective solutions to remain compliant. 

Partnering with a security provider who can audit and recognise the appropriate solution for your business can mean a more efficient and secure business overall. Signature Security Group offers a comprehensive, no obligation security assessment to help thoroughly analyse all aspects of security that should be addressed. Signature Security Group also provides Leasing Solutions allowing the latest security technologies as an affordable answer to minimizing threats and maximizing the bottom line for Hoteliers.

Signature Security Group is proud to announce our partnership with the Australian Hotels Association (AHA). This partnership will help Signature to further understand the needs of AHA Members and provide them with exclusive offers and solutions tailored to the requirements of the Hospitality Industry.