Terrorism is sadly still very much a feature of life today, with the threat and tactics used by terrorists constantly evolving and changing. Recent events have unfortunately seen the use of cars and lorries to carry out attacks. As a result, those working in the cargo industry, and fleet and transport industry should ensure vigilance around the threat of terrorism.
Those who work in the cargo industry or operate a fleet of vehicles are potentially at risk of having a vehicle stolen or hired with the intention of using it to carry out an attack. It is therefore important that you take a proactive approach within your business and ensure that you work hard to carry out your obligation of duty of care.
Legal requirements – all those employed to drive for a living must have the right licence and qualifications in place so make sure that your checks are up to date. Checks should ideally be carried out every 12 months. Also ensure you have checks for those who drive on company business in place to identify if any of them have serious endorsements or penalty points
Check, check, check – Carry out checks – background and criminal background checks are key when hiring a new employee into the cargo industry and also make sure you verify any references or previous work experience – don’t take it at face value.
Take security seriously – drivers should be educated in security policies such as ensuring they park in secure and well-lit areas as well as ensuring that they report any unusual or suspicious activity. Vehicles should be fitted with immobiliser devices and alarms. Make sure drivers know not to ever leave keys in their vehicles, to always secure their vehicle when left unattended and that they know how to use the security devices that are fitted.
Continually adapt to the threat – ensure you update your processes in line with the threat and if you are updating your vehicles it is always best to, where possible, invest in vehicles with the most up to date security features. Collision avoidance technology is becoming more common. This technology uses radar systems which scan ahead for potential hazards to help prevent or reduce the speed of impacts.
Sadly, given the severity of the effect a terrorist attack can have it is so important that those in the cargo and fleet industry are aware of the potential risks and ensure constant vigilance both amongst company management and at driver level. Likewise, also think about the potential insurance implications if your business is interrupted as a result of a terrorist attack – this is something we blogged about recently so do give it a read.
